Ballot counting was under way in Benin after an election with little suspense as President Patrice Talon looked set to win a second term following a tense campaign.
The vote itself was largely peaceful in the West African nation once praised as a vibrant democracy, but critics have accused Talon of rigging ballots by sidelining opposition leaders.
The cotton tycoon first elected in 2016 faced just two other rivals, little-known Alassane Soumanou and Corentin Kohoue, as most opposition figures were either disqualified by electoral reforms or were in exile.
In the economic capital Cotonou, residents are on their daily activities with little doubt over the election results scheduled to be announced later today.
The electoral commission said it had already received ballots from 400 polls.
The government however said it was “satisfied” with the vote, in which more than 4.9 million people were eligible to participate.
