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Benin’s President, Patrice Talon, reaffirmed on Friday that he would not seek an unconstitutional third term, emphasizing that he personally strengthened the country’s constitution to limit leaders to two terms. His second term is set to conclude next year.
“I’m telling you again for the umpteenth time, no, I will not be a candidate,” Talon stated in an interview with Jeune Afrique. He stressed that he would, however, be closely monitoring the selection of his successor to ensure continuity in the reforms he has implemented over the past decade.
The issue of succession gained attention last September when Olivier Boko, a close associate of Talon, was arrested alongside former sports minister Oswald Homeky on charges of attempting a coup. Both were sentenced to 20 years in prison in January for “plotting against the authority of the state.” Talon described the incident as a personal tragedy.
On regional matters, Talon criticised Benin’s strained relations with neighbouring Niger and Burkina Faso, both governed by military juntas. He lamented the lack of security cooperation in combating threats along their shared borders, accusing their governments of failing to respond to Benin’s outreach.
Insurgency has spilled over from these Sahelian nations, but Niamey and Ouagadougou accuse Benin of hosting foreign military bases with the intention of destabilising them—an allegation Talon firmly denied.
