Beninese voters headed to the polls yesterday in crucial parliamentary and local elections, just one month after a failed coup plot shook the West African country.

President Patrice Talon’s ruling coalition is expected to strengthen its already powerful hand in the ballots, with the main opposition Democrats party barred from the local polls.

The elections come at a fraught moment for Benin, still reeling from a deadly coup attempt by army mutineers on December 7, which was put down in a matter of hours by the military, with support from Nigeria and France.

The streets of economic capital Cotonou were calm yesterday as polling stations opened at 7:00 am local time (0600 GMT), AFP reporters said.

“I’m coming to vote early so I don’t have to deal with the midday crowds after church,” said restaurateur Adeline Sonon, 32, after casting her ballot.

The single-round legislative polls will elect the 109 seats in the National Assembly, where Talon’s three-party bloc hopes to strengthen its majority.

The Democrats, only running in the parliamentary races, risk ceding ground to the ruling coalition, which currently holds 81 seats.

Some observers say the opposition may lose all 28 seats, given the current electoral law requiring parties to gather support from 20 per cent of registered voters in each of the country’s 24 voting districts to stand for parliament.

The campaign unfolded without large rallies, with most parties opting for grassroots strategies like door-to-door canvassing.

“All measures have been taken to guarantee a free, transparent, and secure vote. No political ambition can justify violence or endanger national unity,” head of the electoral commission (CENA), Sacca Lafia, said on Saturday.

The legislative elections are set to define the political landscape ahead of April’s presidential polls, with the opposition struck off the ballot.

While Talon, 67, who is nearing the end of his second five-year term, is barred from running in April’s elections, his hand-picked successor, Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni, is a strong favourite to win.

Talon has presided over strong economic development across his nearly a decade in power, but critics accuse him of restricting political opposition and basic rights.

As of the time of filing this report, results of the polls have not been announced by the Benin electoral commission.

The Federal Government has allocated N12.78bn to the National Population Commission (NPC) in its proposed 2026 budget for census activities, construction of permanent office buildings, and vehicle procurement.

This is contained in the 2026 Appropriation Bill released by the Budget Office of the Federation.

President Bola Tinubu had on December 19, 2025, presented the budget estimate totalling N58.18tn to a joint session of the National Assembly.

According to the budget estimates, N770m is allocated for the ongoing National Population and Housing Census project, while N8.4bn is earmarked for the construction of permanent office buildings for the commission.

The purchase of official vehicles for federal commissioners is allocated N2.8bn.

The development of the National Population Data Bank, the Nigerian Population Database Management System, and the hosting of the population geo-portal and web portal are to receive N54.6m.

Preparation of the Enumeration Area Demarcation concept manual will cost N1.89m, while N17.5m is planned for the conduct of a second pretest.

Stakeholder conferences to present the 2018 census instruments are budgeted at N7m, while upskilling staff in data collection and interviewing techniques will cost N14m.

Census in schools is allocated N7m, while the development of a small-area lor enumeration-area-level database for spatial analysis and dissemination is set to receive N1.82m.

Field demarcation in 774 local government areas is budgeted at N1.4m.

Inter-censal population activities—including population projections, sentinel surveys, and the Nigerian Demographic and Health Survey—as well as the development of small-area-level databases for analysis, have been allocated N12.39m.

Census publicity and advocacy, including information campaigns through print and electronic media, are budgeted at N173.11m.

Monitoring and evaluation of commission projects will cost N28m, while research, documentation, and archiving—including studies on special populations such as herdsmen, fishermen, homeless persons, and migrant farmers—are also budgeted at N28m.

Cartographic consumables for the enumeration area demarcation exercise are allocated N1.61m.

Amendment of the NPC Act and prosecution of objections to the 2006 census results will cost N49m.

Expansion of registration centres and the registration of births and deaths are allocated N245m, while the generation of statistics on internal and international migration is budgeted at N24.5m. Population activity coordination in line with presidential directives will also cost N24.5m.

Additionally, specialised studies in demography, establishment of an e-library, and an annual population lecture series are budgeted at N35m, while the commemoration of World Population Day and the Annual Population Census Day is allocated N63m.

Budget preparation, verification of fixed assets, and the updating of financial documentation in line with IPSAS accrual accounting standards will cost N35m.

Nigeria last conducted a national census in November 2006, recording a population of 140,431,790.

Nearly 20 years later, the country is still struggling to complete preparations for a new count.

The planned census faced several setbacks under former President Muhammadu Buhari, including funding shortages, insecurity, and disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite moves by the NPC to deploy digital mapping and biometric systems to improve accuracy, the exercise was repeatedly postponed.

The 2023 census was eventually shelved due to financial constraints and the transition to a new administration, leaving much of the groundwork incomplete as Buhari exited office.

Under President Bola Tinubu, renewed attempts to revive the project have faced further challenges.

There is still no clear roadmap on the timing, methodology, or how to enumerate Nigeria’s large mobile populations, including internally displaced persons.

During a meeting with NPC officials on February 24, 2025, Tinubu expressed displeasure over the prolonged delays.

“This stop-and-go activity on the census cannot work with me. So we’d better have a definite path,” he said.

The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has directed the stoppage of salaries of members of the Joint Health Sector Unions and the Assembly of Health Care Professionals following the commencement of their strike on November 14, 2025.

In a circular addressed to all Chief Medical Directors and Medical Directors of federal health institutions and dated January 8, the ministry said the directive was in line with the Federal Government’s “No work, no pay” policy and would take effect from January 2026.

The memo, signed by the Director of Hospital Services, Dr Abisola Adegoke, on behalf of the Coordinating Minister, instructed hospital managements to strictly enforce the policy against all striking JOHESU members and any other staff who might join the industrial action.

It partly read, “I am directed to convey to you the position of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare on the current strike by the Joint Health Sector Unions & Assembly of Health Care Professionals, which commenced on Friday, 14th November, 2025.

“You are to ensure that you provide critical services like accident and emergency, labour, Intensive Care Unit, amongst others by all legal means, including employment of locum staff.

“You may recall that the Federal Government law on ‘No work, no pay’ subsists in this regard. Therefore, you are directed to ensure strict enforcement of this policy on striking JOHESU members commencing from January 2026 and any group of employed staff in your institution who may wish to embark on strike.”

The ministry also ordered hospital heads to ensure that critical services such as accident and emergency care, labour wards and intensive care units continued to operate during the strike.

“You are also directed to ensure security of lives and property of everyone, including patients and staff. All members of staff who are willing to continue with their work must be allowed to go about their various duties unhindered and unmolested.

“You are to provide regular updates on the strike as it affects your institution,” the circular added.

The JOHESU strike, which began on November 14, 2025, involves health workers across federal health facilities and has affected the delivery of some medical services nationwide.