Benin Republic Extends Presidential Term to Seven Years
The National Assembly of Benin has approved a constitutional revision extending the presidential term from five to seven years and establishing a bicameral parliament.
The bill was passed during a plenary session on Friday at the Palace of the Governors in Porto-Novo, with 90 deputies voting in favour and 19 against, the Assembly announced on Facebook on Saturday.
The amendment, which updates the Constitution of 11 December 1990 (previously revised in 2019), required a preliminary three-quarters majority vote. Deputies met this threshold with 87 votes in favour and 22 against before proceeding to the final secret ballot.
The reform introduces 15 new articles and amends 18 others. Notably, the revised Article 42 now states, “The President of the Republic is elected by direct universal suffrage for a term of seven years, renewable only once. No one may, in his or her lifetime, serve more than two terms as President of the Republic.”
The reform also creates a Senate alongside the National Assembly, giving legislative powers and government oversight to both chambers, as outlined in the amended Article 79. Deputies’ terms are now set at seven years, renewable, with any lawmaker who leaves their sponsoring party losing their mandate, according to Article 80.
Under the revised Article 113.1, the Senate is tasked with regulating political life and safeguarding national unity, development, defence, public security, democracy, and peace.
The law also extends the tenure of mayors and municipal councillors to seven years, renewable.
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
