Benin Republic President Patrice Talon has said that he would not stand for an unconstitutional third term in office but would be watching the choice of his successor closely.

Reports say, the former businessman has been in charge of the small West African nation since 2016 and his second term of office comes to end next year.

According to reports, the question over his succession was revived in September last year when one of his close friends, Olivier Boko, was arrested on suspicion of attempting a coup with the former sports minister Oswald Homeky. The two men were sentenced to 20 years in prison in January for plotting against the authority of the state.

He said he would also be careful about the choice of his successor and intended to ensure that whoever took over does not want to reverse what he said was a decade of reforms.