Patrice Talon, former president of Benin, has been elected the country’s first senate president, just months after leaving office.

Talon was elected on a five-year mandate to lead the newly created upper chamber, securing 24 of the 25 votes cast, with one blank ballot.

The vote was held behind closed doors and by secret ballot on Thursday.

Talon’s return to frontline politics was predicted last year after he approved a constitutional reform last November to establish the senate, a move his administration said would strengthen political stability.

The West African country held presidential elections in April. Romuald Wadagni, then-minister of finance, secured a landslide victory with more than 94 percent of the votes.

Talon said he was “leaving office with the feeling of having given my best, of having led the country to take some steps forward in all areas”.

Thomas Boni Yayi, another ex-president and founder of the opposition party ‘Les Démocrates du Bénin‘, expressed interest in challenging Talon for the senate president seat.

However, Yayi lacked support among the members of the new senate, who are appointed rather than elected, and later chose not to run.

Talon described the senate as a “chamber of wisdom, counsel, conciliation, and appeasement” and said it would be a mistake not to serve in it.

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