As president Patrice Talon steps down after a decade, the west African country’s finance minister is favourite to win As president Patrice Talon steps down after a decade, the west African country’s finance minister is favourite to win This Sunday, just four months after a failed coup, Benin heads to the polls for a presidential election that feels more like a coronation than a contest. Patrice Talon, the businessman turned politician who has been president since 2016, is ineligible to run