Presidential elections were held in
Benin
Benin ( , ; french: Bénin , ff, Benen), officially the Republic of Benin (french: République du Bénin), and formerly Dahomey, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the north ...
in March 1996. The first round, held on 3 March, saw no candidate gain over 50% of the vote, resulting in a second round held on 18 March.
Mathieu Kérékou
Mathieu Kérékou (; 2 September 1933 – 14 October 2015) was a Beninese politician who served as President of Benin from 1972 to 1991 and again from 1996 to 2006.
After seizing power in a military coup, he ruled the country for 19 years, for ...
, a former military dictator who had come second in the first round, was victorious in the second round, beating incumbent
Nicéphore Soglo
Nicéphore Dieudonné Soglo (born November 29, 1934) is a Beninese politician who was Prime Minister of Benin from 1990 to 1991 and President from 1991 to 1996. He was Mayor of Cotonou from 2003 to 2015. Soglo was married to Rosine Vieyra Soglo, ...
, after gaining the backing of the third- and fourth-placed candidates.
[Kunle Amuwo, "The State and the Politics of Democratic Consolidation in Benin, 1990–1999", in ''Political Liberalization and Democratization in Africa'' (2003), ed. Ihonvbere and Mbaku.] Kérékou received very strong support from northern voters, but he also improved his performance in the south compared to the
1991 election.
[
Soglo alleged fraud, but this was rejected by the Constitutional Court (who had annulled 22% of the votes in the first round),][ which confirmed Kérékou's victory.Benin, Year in Review: 1996]
Britannica Voter turnout was 87.8% in the first round and 77.6% in the second round.Dieter Nohlen
Dieter Nohlen (born 6 November 1939) is a German academic and political scientist. He currently holds the position of Emeritus Professor of Political Science in the Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences of the University of Heidelberg. An expe ...
, Michael Krennerich & Bernhard Thibaut (1999) ''Elections in Africa: A data handbook'', p95
Results
References
{{Beninese elections
Presidential elections in Benin
Benin
Benin ( , ; french: Bénin , ff, Benen), officially the Republic of Benin (french: République du Bénin), and formerly Dahomey, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the north ...
1996 in Benin