Benin President Patrice Talon has returned to a key position in the country’s political structure, emerging as the first president of the newly created Senate months after completing his two-term presidency.
Talon was elected during the inaugural sitting of the upper legislative chamber in Porto-Novo, securing 24 of the 25 votes cast, with one ballot recorded as blank.
His election follows constitutional reforms introduced during the final months of his administration that transformed Benin’s legislature into a bicameral system, creating the Senate alongside the existing National Assembly.
The reforms also allowed former presidents to become members of the upper chamber, paving the way for Talon’s return to public office after leaving the presidency.
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Talon, who governed Benin from 2016 to 2026, handed over power on May 24, 2026, to Romuald Wadagni, his former economy and finance minister, who won the April 2026 presidential election.
A businessman-turned-politician, Talon first became president in 2016 after defeating Lionel Zinsou in a runoff election and was re-elected in 2021. His decade in office was marked by economic reforms, infrastructure projects and major institutional changes.
The creation of the Senate became one of the defining reforms of his final year in power. While supporters described the chamber as a step towards strengthening governance and legislative oversight, critics questioned aspects of the reform.
With his election as Senate president, Talon becomes one of Benin’s highest-ranking officials and retains a central role in the country’s political affairs, leading an institution established during his own administration.