2006 Beninese presidential election

Presidential elections were held in Benin on 5 March 2006. Long-term president Mathieu Kérékou, who had led the country for all but four years since 1972, was barred from running for a third term. The constitution not only stipulated an absolute two-term limit, but required presidents to be 70 years old or younger when taking office; Kérékou had turned 70 in 2003. In July 2005, Kérékou signalled that he would not seek to change the constitution, as has been done in some other African countries, so that he could run again. Kérékou's long-time rival Nicéphore Soglo was also barred from standing due to his age.[1]

2006 Beninese presidential election
5 March 2006 (first round)
19 March 2006 (second round)
Turnout81.40% (first round)
69.47% (second round)
 
Adrien Houngbédji, President of the Beninese National Assembly, March 2019.jpg
Nominee Yayi Boni Adrien Houngbédji
Party Independent PRD
Popular vote 1,979,305 673,937
Percentage 74.60% 25.40%
President before election

Mathieu Kérékou
FARD-Alafia

 Elected President

Yayi Boni
Independent

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Members of the National Autonomous Electoral Commission (CENA) are counting the votes after the second round on 19 March 2006
Civil Society members offer their own transportation means to carry and safeguard the transparent ballot boxes from the polling stations to the electoral commission offices.

With the men who had been among the country's leading political figures since the return of democracy barred from running, the campaign had a level of openness and unpredictability not common for African presidential elections. Since no candidate won a majority, a second round was held between the two leading candidates on 19 March; Yayi Boni won the election and took office in April.

Candidates

A total of 33 candidate applications were registered with the Autonomous National Electoral Commission (CENA). In a ruling issued on 30 January 2006, the Constitutional Court accepted 26 candidacies, as the candidacies of Daniel Shalom, Vincent Emmanuel Ahounou, and Adébayo Ananie were rejected because they were deemed medically unfit for the presidency, while the candidacies of Lary Egoundoukpè and Alidou Tamama were rejected because they had not paid the deposit of five million CFA francs required of candidates. Another two candidates, Edgar Alias and Yaro Sourakatou, withdrew in favor of Boni prior to the ruling. The approved candidates included three serving members of Kérékou's government: Zul Kifl Salami, Antoine Dayori, and Kamarou Fassassi. Additionally, the Constitutional Court approved the candidacies of two heads of major institutions: those of Antoine Idji Kolawolé, the President of the National Assembly, and Raphiou Toukourou, the President of the Economic and Social Council.[2]

Results

In the first round, held on 5 March, Boni, former chairman of the West African Development Bank, placed first with around 35% of the vote, and former President of the National Assembly Adrien Houngbédji of the Democratic Renewal Party placed second with around 24% of the vote. In third place was the Social Democratic Party's candidate Bruno Amoussou, a former speaker of parliament and planning minister who obtained around 16% of the vote, and in fourth place was Benin Renaissance candidate Lehady Soglo, son of former president Nicéphore Soglo, with around 8% of the vote. Boni was an independent candidate, and this was his first election; Houngbédji and Amoussou had both run for president three previous times.[3][4]

Shortly after results were announced in mid-March, the government set the date for the second round between Boni and Houngbédji for 19 March. The country's election commission asked for more time, but this was refused. Boni was backed for the second round by both Amoussou and Soglo.[5] He won the second round with almost 75% of the vote[3] and was sworn in on 6 April.[6]

CandidatePartyFirst roundSecond round
Votes%Votes%
Yayi BoniIndependent1,074,30835.781,979,30574.60
Adrien HoungbédjiDemocratic Renewal Party727,23924.22673,93725.40
Bruno AmoussouSocial Democratic Party489,12216.29
Léhady SogloBenin Rebirth Party253,4788.44
Antoine Kolawolé IdjiAfrican Movement for Development and Progress97,5953.25
Lazare SèhouétoMovement for the People's Alternative61,1952.04
Sévérin AdjoviLiberal Democrats' Rally for National Reconstruction – Vivoten53,3041.78
Antoine DayoriHope Force37,4361.25
Kamarou FassassiAwakening Party of Democrats of the New Generation29,4940.98
Janvier YahouédéhouIndependent23,0540.77
Luc GnacadjaEnvol Movement20,2690.68
Daniel TawémaAction Front for Renewal and Development18,1250.60
Ibrahima IdrissouRally for National Unity and Democracy18,1060.60
Richard SènouIndependent15,6720.52
Soulé DankoroDemocratic Party9,9290.33
Marie-Elise GbèdoIndependent9,8150.33
Célestine ZanouIndependent9,4740.32
Lionel AgboAfrican Congress of Democrats9,0260.30
Zul Kifl SalamiIndependent8,5380.28
Richard AdjahoIndependent7,4480.25
Gatien HoungbédjiDemocratic Union for Economic and Social Development6,5440.22
Adolphe Djimon HodonouIndependent6,5120.22
Galiou SogloIndependent5,2430.17
Léandre DjagouéRally of Liberal Democrats – Hêviosso4,6650.16
Marcel GbaguidiIndependent3,4790.12
Raphiou ToukourouIndependent3,4190.11
Total3,002,489100.002,653,242100.00
Valid votes3,002,48994.142,653,24297.45
Invalid/blank votes186,7775.8669,5642.55
Total votes3,189,266100.002,722,806100.00
Registered voters/turnout3,917,86581.403,919,55069.47
Source: African Elections Database

References
  1. Kerekou says will retire next year, will not change constitution to stay in power IRIN, 12 July 2005
  2. La Cour constitutionnelle retient 26 candidatures Archived March 20, 2008, at the Wayback Machine Panapress, 30 January 2006 (in French)
  3. Elections in Benin African Elections Database
  4. Profiles of front-runners in presidential race IRIN, 3 March 2006
  5. Rejecting appeal, government sets poll for 19 March IRIN, 18 March 2006
  6. Virgile Ahissou, Celebrations in Benin as Boni takes office Associated Press, 7 April 2006
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