Patrice Talon Independent Presidential elections were held in Benin on 6 March 2016, having been delayed by one week due to logistical constraints.

[1] Incumbent president Thomas Boni Yayi was at the end of his second presidential term and was constitutionally barred from running for a third.

[2] A second round was held on 20 March,[3] in which businessman Patrice Talon defeated Prime Minister Lionel Zinsou.

During 2015 and 2016 the leaders of some African countries undertook efforts to remain in power after decades of rule; a referendum in Rwanda resulted in Paul Kagame being allowed to remain in power, there was unrest in Burundi over President Pierre Nkurunziza's plans to run for a third term, whilst the long-term presidents of Uganda and the Republic of the Congo ran for office again.

[8] Prime Minister Lionel Zinsou announced on 1 December 2015 that he would stand as the candidate of the Cowry Forces for an Emerging Benin, the party of President Yayi Boni, in the 2016 presidential election.

The government defended Zinsou, stressing that he was "a full citizen of Benin" and that arguing that his opponents were appealing to "base instincts of hatred, racism, fear and intolerance.

The Autonomous National Electoral Commission (CENA) announced on 13 January 2016 that 48 people had filed the necessary paperwork to stand as presidential candidates, although their candidacies still needed to be approved by the Constitutional Court.