List of presidents of Benin

This is a list of presidents of Benin (formerly Dahomey) since the formation of the post of President in 1960, to the present day.

List of officeholders

Political parties
  Dahomeyan Unity Party (PDU)
  Dahomeyan Democratic Party (PDD)
  People's Revolutionary Party of Benin (PRPB)
  Benin Rebirth Party (RB)
  Action Front for Renewal and Development (FARD–Alafia)
Other factions
  Military
  Independent
Status
  Denotes acting or interim head of state
No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Beath) 		Term of office Political party Elected Government(s) Ref.
Took office Left office Time in office
Republic of Dahomey (1960–1975)
1 Hubert Maga
(1916–2000) 		1 August 1960 28 October 1963
(Deposed) 		3 years, 88 days Independent — Maga I
PDU 1960
– Christophe Soglo
(1909–1983)
acting[a] 		28 October 1963 25 January 1964 89 days Military — Maga I
2 Sourou-Migan Apithy
(1913–1989) 		25 January 1964 27 November 1965
(Resigned) 		1 year, 306 days PDD 1964 Apithy
– Justin Ahomadégbé-Tomêtin
(1917–2002)
acting[b] 		27 November 1965 29 November 1965 2 days PDD — Apithy
– Tahirou Congacou
(1911–1993)
acting[c] 		29 November 1965 22 December 1965
(Deposed) 		23 days PDD — Apithy
3 Christophe Soglo
(1909–1983) 		22 December 1965 17 December 1967
(Deposed) 		1 year, 360 days Military — Soglo
– Jean-Baptiste Hachème
(1929–1998)
acting[d] 		17 December 1967 21 December 1967 4 days Military — Revolutionary Committee [3]
– Maurice Kouandété
(1932–2003)
acting[e] 		20 December 1967 21 December 1967 1 day Military — Revolutionary Committee
– Alphonse Alley
(1930–1987)
acting[f] 		21 December 1967 17 July 1968 209 days Military — Revolutionary Committee
Provisional Government
4 Émile Derlin Zinsou
(1918–2016) 		17 July 1968 10 December 1969
(Deposed) 		1 year, 146 days Independent 1968 (Jul) Zinsou
– Maurice Kouandété
(1932–2003)
acting[g] 		10 December 1969 13 December 1969 3 days Military —
– Paul-Émile de Souza
(1930–1999)[h] 		13 December 1969 7 May 1970 145 days Military — Directory
1 Hubert Maga
(1916–2000)[i] 		7 May 1970 7 May 1972 2 years Independent 1970 Maga II
5 Justin Ahomadégbé-Tomêtin
(1917–2002)[i] 		7 May 1972 26 October 1972
(Deposed) 		172 days Independent Ahomadégbé-Tomêtin
6 Mathieu Kérékou
(1933–2015) 		26 October 1972 30 November 1975 3 years, 35 days Military — Kérékou I
People's Republic of Benin (1975–1990)
(6) Mathieu Kérékou
(1933–2015) 		30 November 1975 1 March 1990 14 years, 120 days Military[j] 1980[6] Central Committee
1984[6]
PRPB 1989[6]
Republic of Benin (1990–present)
(6) Mathieu Kérékou
(1933–2015) 		1 March 1990 4 April 1991 1 year, 34 days PRPB[k] — Kérékou II
Independent
7 Nicéphore Soglo
(born 1934) 		4 April 1991 4 April 1996 5 years RB 1991 Soglo
(6) Mathieu Kérékou
(1933–2015) 		4 April 1996 6 April 2006 10 years, 2 days FARD–Alafia 1996 Kérékou III
2001 Kérékou IV
8 Thomas Boni Yayi
(born 1951) 		6 April 2006 6 April 2016 10 years Independent[l] 2006 Yayi I [fr]
— Yayi II
— Yayi III
— Yayi IV
— Yayi V
— Yayi VI
2011 Yayi VII
— Yayi VIII
— Yayi IX
— Yayi X
9 Patrice Talon
(born 1958) 		6 April 2016 Incumbent 9 years, 339 days Independent[m] 2016 Talon I [fr]
2021 Talon II [fr]

Timeline

Patrice TalonThomas Boni YayiNicéphore SogloMathieu KérékouPaul-Émile de SouzaÉmile Derlin ZinsouAlphonse AlleyMaurice KouandétéJean-Baptiste HachèmeTahirou CongacouJustin Ahomadégbé-TomêtinSourou-Migan ApithyChristophe SogloHubert Maga

Notes

  1. ^ Styled as Head of the Provisional Government.
  2. ^ Styled as Provisional President.[1]
  3. ^ As President of the National Assembly.[1]
  4. ^ Styled as Chairman of the Revolutionary Committee.[2]
  5. ^ Styled as Chairman of the Revolutionary Committee.[2]
  6. ^ Styled as Chairman of the Revolutionary Committee[2] and as Provisional President of the Provisional Government.[4]
  7. ^ Styled as Chief of Staff of the Army.[2]
  8. ^ Styled as Chairman of the Directory.[2]
  9. ^ a b Styled as Chairman of the Presidential Council.
  10. ^ Retired from the military in 1987, with the rank of a general.[5]
  11. ^ Succeeded by the Union of Forces of Progress (UFP) at its dissolution on 30 April 1990.
  12. ^ Supported by the Cowry Forces for an Emerging Benin (FCBE).
  13. ^ Supported by the Progressive Union for Renewal (UPR) and the Republican Bloc (BR).

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Decalo, Samuel (April 1973), "Regionalism, Politics, and the Military in Dahomey", The Journal of Developing Areas, 7 (3), College of Business, Tennessee State University: p. 459, JSTOR 4190033
  2. ^ a b c d e Decalo, Samuel (13 December 1987). "Historical dictionary of Benin". Metuchen, N.J. : Scarecrow Press – via Internet Archive.
  3. ^ Agué, Vincent (31 August 2020). "Les chefs d'Etat du Bénin depuis 1960 : Qui est qui et qui a fait quoi ?".
  4. ^ Decalo, Samuel (April 1973), "Regionalism, Politics, and the Military in Dahomey", The Journal of Developing Areas, 7 (3), College of Business, Tennessee State University: p. 464, JSTOR 4190033
  5. ^ "Mathieu Kérékou, Dictator Who Ushered In Democracy in Benin, Dies at 82". The New York Times. 15 October 2015. Archived from the original on 28 September 2022. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
  6. ^ a b c "Elections in Benin". africanelections.tripod.com. Archived from the original on 26 August 2025. Retrieved 11 October 2025.
allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_heads_of_state_of_Benin