Rival presidential candidates on campaign trail in Benin

With just over two weeks to go to Benin’s presidential elections, the two candidates vying for the country’s top job have kicked off their campaigns.

Incumbent finance Minister Romuald Wadagni is a strong favourite to win against opposition candidate and seasoned politician, Paul Hounkpé, who spoke to supporters in Cotonou on Friday.

Hounkpé told them that the match was not over and that it was not a friendly one either.

**“**It’s a serious match, and I know that if nothing changes in the next two weeks, or if we had to vote today, we would be the winners,” he said.

A member of his opposition FCBE party, Calixte Kounouvo, said he believed Hounkpé’s chances were solid.

"It was necessary for us to explain to the people that we are bringing the best solution to hunger, to inclusivity, and to the country’s situation," he said.

The April poll will mark the fifth democratic change of leadership in Benin since the 1990 start of multi-party democracy.

The other big opposition party, the Democrats, was sidelined from the polls after failing to gather enough signatures.

While it initially said it would not support either of the candidate, several of its senior figures have since thrown their support behind Wadagni.

Patrice Talon, who has served two five-year terms as president, is barred under the constitution from standing again.

Wadagni, his hand-picked successor, rallied thousands of supporters at a stadium in the town of Kandi on Friday, raising issues of regional development and security.

Northern Benin has been hit by a spillover of jihadist violence by Al-Qaeda-affiliated groups from neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger for several years.

A deadly coup attempt by army mutineers on 7 December was put down in a matter of hours by the military with support from Nigeria and France.

It did not prevent legislative and local elections being held the following month in which Talon's ruling bloc eliminated the opposition from parliament.

The presidential polls take place on 12 April.