Former Beninese President Patrice Talon has been elected as the first President of Benin’s Senate, following the establishment of the governing bureau of the country’s newly created upper house of Parliament. The election came after the Constitutional Court approved the Senate’s internal rules, completing the institutional setup of the chamber established under the constitutional reforms adopted in December 2025. Former National Assembly President Louis Vlavonou was elected Vice-President, while Alassane Séïdou became Rapporteur.
Patrice Talon, who served as Benin’s president from 2016 to April 2026, now becomes the first head of the Senate created under the bicameral parliamentary system introduced during his second term in office. His election comes shortly after former President Thomas Boni Yayi reversed his earlier decision and accepted his seat as a senator, saying the new chamber could serve as a platform for national dialogue and consultation. The election of the Senate bureau completes the establishment of the institution, which will serve a five-year term.
