Benin Republic election update: Chad and Benin hold presidential election

Early indications show voter turnout dey low for Benin presidential election, wia polling stations don close.

In di run-up to the election, protests over President Patrice Talon broken promise to serve only one term in office leave two pipo dead.

After e vote, President Talon call on im fellow citizens to come out and vote.

But opposition campaigners bin call for boycott and streets bin dey quiet on Sunday, especially for anti-government strongholds.

Di head of di electoral commission say most polling stations bin open on time despite opposition supporters wey block di roads to northern and central Benin.

Di president critics don accuse am of rigging di poll by disqualifying e strongest competitors from running.

Only two other candidates dey allowed to run against President Talon - di little- known former MPs Allasane Soumanou and Corentin Kohoué.

All of Benin more prominent opposition figures dey disqualified by electoral reforms or dey live in exile under di threat of heavy prison sentences.

Oga Talon, wey previously vow to serve only one term, na im many see as heavy favourite to win five more years in office.

Chad vote

Pipo for Chad also dey vote inside presidential election wey dey expected to give one of Africa longest-serving leaders a sixth term.

President Idriss Déby, wey seize power inside military coup for 1990, dey face accuse say e try to shut up opposition in di lead-up to di vote.

Ogbonge opposition leaders don withdraw from di race, as dem allege attacks by di security forces.

Dem dey ask supporters to boycott di election and to protest.

Na like 7.4 million voters dey expected to vote for presidential elections wey dey destined to hand di country 30-year leader Idriss Deby sixth term for office after dem sideline e most prominent rivals.

Idriss Deby to rule until 2033?

Deby na di frontrunner for poll wia di initial field of challengers reduce from 16 to six after candidates bin dey barred or quit, while demonstrations dey banned or dispersed.

Idriss Déby, wey be strong man for di country and an ally of di West for di fight against terrorism for di Sahel, suppose win again for di sixth term.

For several months, parties and civil society groups don call Saturday protest marches for peaceful transfer of power.

Dem dey banned, and dem don use violence take scata di slightest gathering, while police and troops bin surround party headquarters and di homes of dia leaders.

Amnesty International and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres dey among pipo wey don frown at di use of force.

Chad, although dem be oil producer, na di 187th country out of 189 for di UN Human Development Index (HDI) ranking.

For 2018, 42 percent of di population lived below di poverty line, according to di World Bank.

According to di electoral calendar, provisional results go dey known on April 25, 2021 and di final results on May 15, 2021.