After a decade at the helm of Benin, President Patrice Talon is preparing to hand over power this Sunday, 24 May 2026. As farewells and stock-taking begin in the capital, the outgoing leader chaired his final cabinet meeting on Wednesday, while government spokesman Wilfried Houngbédji faced journalists for one last press conference — touching on sacked radio staff, a defiant defence of Talon’s political record, and a refusal to call imprisoned opponents “political prisoners.”