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–Death)	Elected	Term of office			Political affiliation	Prime minister(s)
				Took office	Left office	Time in office
Republic of Dahomey (1960–1975)
1		Hubert Maga (1916–2000)	1960	1 August 1960	28 October 1963 (Deposed in a coup)	3 years, 88 days	Independent / PDU	Himself Position abolished
–		Christophe Soglo (1909–1983) [a]	—	28 October 1963	25 January 1964	89 days	Military	Position abolished
2		Sourou-Migan Apithy (1913–1989)	1964	25 January 1964	27 November 1965 (Resigned)	1 year, 306 days	PDD	Ahomadégbé-Tomêtin
–		Justin Ahomadégbé-Tomêtin (1917–2002) [b]	—	27 November 1965	29 November 1965	2 days	PDD	Himself
–		Tahirou Congacou (1911–1993) [c]	—	29 November 1965	22 December 1965 (Deposed in a coup)	23 days	PDD	Position abolished
3		Christophe Soglo (1909–1983)	—	22 December 1965	17 December 1967 (Deposed in a coup)	1 year, 360 days	Military	Position abolished
–		Jean-Baptiste Hachème (1929–1998) [d]	—	17 December 1967	21 December 1967	4 days [3]	Military	Position abolished
–		Maurice Kouandété (1932–2003) [e]	—	20 December 1967	21 December 1967	1 day	Military	Position abolished
–		Alphonse Alley (1930–1987) [f]	—	21 December 1967	17 July 1968	209 days	Military	Kouandété
4		Émile Derlin Zinsou (1918–2016)	1968 (Jul)	17 July 1968	10 December 1969 (Deposed in a coup)	1 year, 146 days	Independent	Position abolished
–		Maurice Kouandété (1932–2003) [g]	—	10 December 1969	13 December 1969	3 days	Military	Position abolished
–		Paul-Émile de Souza (1930–1999) [h]	—	13 December 1969	7 May 1970	145 days	Military	Position abolished
1		Hubert Maga (1916–2000) [i]	—	7 May 1970	7 May 1972	2 years	Independent	Position abolished
2		Justin Ahomadégbé-Tomêtin (1917–2002) [i]	—	7 May 1972	26 October 1972 (Deposed in a coup)	172 days	Independent	Position abolished
5		Mathieu Kérékou (1933–2015)	—	26 October 1972	30 November 1975	3 years, 35 days	Military	Position abolished
People's Republic of Benin (1975–1990)
(5)		Mathieu Kérékou (1933–2015)	1980 [5] 1984 [5] 1989 [5]	30 November 1975	1 March 1990	14 years, 120 days	Military [j] / PRPB	Position abolished
Republic of Benin (1990–present)
(5)		Mathieu Kérékou (1933–2015)	—	1 March 1990	4 April 1991	1 year, 34 days	PRPB [k] / Independent	Position abolished Soglo
6		Nicéphore Soglo (born 1934)	1991	4 April 1991	4 April 1996	5 years	RB	Position abolished
(5)		Mathieu Kérékou (1933–2015)	1996 2001	4 April 1996	6 April 2006	10 years, 2 days	Independent / FARD–Alafia	Position abolished Houngbédji Position abolished
7		Thomas Boni Yayi (born 1951)	2006 2011	6 April 2006	6 April 2016	10 years	Independent [l]	Position abolished Koupaki Position abolished Zinsou
8		Patrice Talon (born 1958)	2016 2021	6 April 2016	Incumbent	9 years, 252 days	Independent [m]	Position abolished

Timeline

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. Styled as Chairman of the Presidential Council .
10. Retired from the military in 1987, with the rank of a general. ^[6]
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

• President of Benin
• Vice President of Benin
• List of prime ministers of Benin
• List of colonial governors of Dahomey
• Politics of Benin

References

1. 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. 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. "Elections in Benin". africanelections.tripod.com. Archived from the original on 26 August 2025. Retrieved 11 October 2025.
6. "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.

External links

• World Statesmen (Benin)