Politically Exposed Person (PEP) Weekly Digest – Volume 155

155th PEP Weekly Digest:

Introducing the 155th edition of The PEP Weekly Digest, where we present to you the most recent updates and news on the global political stage.

Recent and upcoming elections influence the worldwide political landscape in eight nations, slated between May 10, 2026, and Jun 01, 2026. These elections hold significant importance, as they will determine the direction and governance of each respective country’s future.

Romuald Wadagni Sworn in as President of Benin After Landslide Election Victory

A major development has unfolded in Benin: former Beninese finance minister Romuald Wadagni has been officially sworn in as president of Benin on Sunday, succeeding his predecessor and former boss, Patrice Talon.

Wadagni, a 49-year-old economist widely regarded as a technocrat and continuity candidate for Talon’s administration, won the April 12 presidential election with 94 percent of the vote.

His only challenger, Paul Hounkpe, was overwhelmingly defeated, while Hounkpe’s party later aligned with Wadagni’s political camp in parliament.

The main opposition party, the Democrats, did not participate in the election after reportedly failing to secure the required endorsements and facing internal divisions.

Speaking during his inauguration in Cotonou, Wadagni pledged to govern with integrity and accountability.

Tulsi Gabbard Resigns as Director of National Intelligence, Citing Family Health Reasons

Shifting focus to the United States, Tulsi Gabbard has resigned from her role as Director of National Intelligence in President Donald Trump’s administration, citing her husband’s diagnosis with an “extremely rare form of bone cancer.”

Gabbard informed President Trump of her decision during a meeting in the Oval Office on Friday. Her final day leading the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) is expected to be June 30.

Donald Trump also confirmed her resignation, saying, “Unfortunately, Tulsi Gabbard will be leaving the administration on June 30th,” Trump said. “President Trump further said Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence Aaron Lukas will serve as Acting Director of National Intelligence after Gabbard’s departure.

Senegal President Faye Fires Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko Amid Political Tension

Turning to Senegal, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has fired Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko after months of simmering tension.

The decision was announced by the secretary general of the government, Oumar Samba Ba, during a late-night broadcast on Friday.

The firing caps a period of open confrontation between the two former allies from the Patriotes Africains du Sénégal pour le Travail, l’Éthique et la Fraternité (Pastef) party, who had defeated the former ruling party in March 2024.

Ba said the sacking of the prime minister led to the resignation of all the members of the government and its dissolution.

The Pastef party had ridden into office after a fierce campaign mounted against the then-ruling party Alliance pour la République following widespread speculation that former President Macky Sall wanted to use a 2016 constitutional change to revise his term in office.

RBI Imposes Penalties on City Union Bank, Mintifi Finserve and Newa Investments for Regulatory Non-Compliance

Focusing on India, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday said it has imposed a monetary penalty on City Union Bank, Mintifi Finserve, and Newa Investments for non-compliance with certain directions.
The central bank imposed Rs 10.10 lakh monetary penalty on City Union Bank, Rs 3.10 lakh on Mintifi Finserve, and Rs 2.70 lakh on Newa Investments, the RBI said in a release.
The penalty on the City Union Bank was imposed as the lender levied loan-related charges on certain agriculture advances qualifying as priority sector loans up to Rs 25,000, and it did not report self-help group member-level data to credit information companies, the release said.

Former Moroccan Minister Mohamed Moubdii Sentenced to 13 Years for Embezzlement and Corruption

Shifting our attention to Morocco, the criminal chamber of the Casablanca Court of Appeal sentenced Mohamed Moubdii, former Deputy Minister for the Civil Service, to 13 years in prison for embezzlement of public funds and a fine of 30 million dirhams (about €2.79 million).

Mohamed Moubdii, former president of the Fkih Bensalah (central Morocco) municipal council, a position he held from 1997 until his arrest in April 2023, was found guilty of several serious offenses, including embezzlement of public funds, abuse of power, corruption and falsification of private, commercial, and official documents.

The conviction of this member of the Popular Movement followed a complaint filed by the Casablanca-Settat branch of the Moroccan Association for the Protection of Public Assets. At the end of 2025, the public prosecutor’s office requested the conviction of the former elected official, also seeking the confiscation of funds deemed to have been misappropriated through the alleged embezzlement of public funds.

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