Opposition candidate, Talon wins Benin presidential race

Benin businessman Patrice Talon, known as the “king of cotton”, has been declared winner of a presidential run-off, official preliminary results show. His only challenger, Prime Minister Lionel Zinsou, conceded defeat earlier. Mr Zinsou posted on Facebook that he had called Mr Talon to congratulate him “on his victory and wish him luck”. Mr Talon […]

Benin businessman Patrice Talon, known as the “king of cotton”, has been declared winner of a presidential run-off, official preliminary results show.
His only challenger, Prime Minister Lionel Zinsou, conceded defeat earlier. Mr Zinsou posted on Facebook that he had called Mr Talon to congratulate him “on his victory and wish him luck”.
Mr Talon got 65% of the votes while Mr Zinsou secured 35%. “I feel like a soldier packing for the front. This is not a day of glory – congratulations will have to wait,” Mr Talon said.
President Thomas Boni Yayi is stepping down after two terms.
Meanwhile, the opposition also won in Cape Verde’s elections on Sunday. The Movement for Democracy (MPD) won an absolute majority, defeating the governing African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde (PAICV) for the first time in 15 years. In Zanzibar, incumbent President Ali Mohamed Shein has won a landslide victory, with the governing CCM party taking more than 90% of the vote in a disputed re-run.
Counting is ongoing in Niger and Congo-Brazzaville where the incumbents, Muhamadou Issoufou and Denis Sassou Nguesso respectively, are expected to win the polls.
Turnout in Senegal’s referendum on a new constitution that would cut presidential mandates from seven to five years is reported to be low.