Romuald Wadagni and Paul Hounkpè compete to succeed President Talon

To allay voters’ fears, the ruling coalition’s candidate, Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni, 49, launched his campaign in March in Kandi, a strategic trading center near the Niger-Nigeria border, before traveling to other parts of the north, including Banikola and Segbana, two regions hit hard by the attacks.