COTONOU, Benin — A group of soldiers appeared on Benin’s state television Sunday to announce the dissolution of the government and the removal of President Patrice Talon, declaring an apparent coup in the West African nation.

Calling itself the Military Committee for Refoundation, the group said all state institutions had been dissolved and named Lt. Col. Pascal Tigri as president of the committee.

Benin, which gained independence from France in 1960, experienced repeated coups in the decades that followed.

The country had enjoyed political stability since 1991 after the two-decade rule of Mathieu Kérékou.

Talon had been in power since 2016 and was due to step down next April after the presidential election.

Talon’s party candidate, former Finance Minister Romuald Wadagni, had been favored to win.

The electoral commission rejected opposition candidate Renaud Agbodjo, saying he lacked the required number of sponsors.

Last month, Benin’s legislature extended the presidential term from five to seven years while keeping the two-term limit.

The coup is the latest in a wave of military takeovers in West Africa. Just last week, a coup in Guinea-Bissau removed former President Umaro Embalo after a disputed election in which both leading candidates claimed victory. — Agencies