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.

President of the Republic of Benin
Flag of Benin
Incumbent Patrice Talon since 6 April 2016
Residence	Presidential Palace, Porto-Novo
Term length	5 years, renewable once
Inaugural holder	Hubert Maga
Formation	31 December 1960
Salary	29,810 USD annually[1]

Key

Political parties

•   Dahomeyan Democratic Rally (RDD)
•   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/Interim Head of State

List

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office	Political affiliation
Republic of Dahomey
1		Sourou-Migan Apithy,	25 May 1957 to 26 July 1958	PD
			26 July 1958 to 4 December 1958
			4 December 1958 to 22 May 1959
2		Coutoucou Hubert Maga,	22 May 1959 to 1 August 1960	RDD
			1 August 1960 to 31 December 1960
			31 December 1960 to 28 October 1963

No.	President (Birth–Death)	Portrait	Tenure		Elected	Political affiliation
			Took office	Left office
Republic of Dahomey
1	Hubert Maga (1916–2000)		1 August 1960	28 October 1963 (deposed.)	1960		RDD
2	Hubert Maga (1916–2000)		Provisional Government (1963—1963)
3	Justin Ahomadégbé-Tomêtin (1917—2002)
4	Sourou Migan Marcellin (1913—1989)
5	Christophe Soglo (1909–1983)[a]		28 October 1963	25 January 1964	–		Military
6	Sourou-Migan Apithy (1913–1989)		25 January 1964	27 November 1965 (resigned.)	1964		PDD
7	Justin Ahomadégbé-Tomêtin (1917–2002)		27 November 1965	29 November 1965	–		PDD
8	Tahirou Congacou (1911–1993)		29 November 1965	22 December 1965 (deposed.)	–		PDD
9	Christophe Soglo (1909–1983)		22 December 1965	19 December 1967 (deposed.)	–		Military
			19 December 1967	17 July 1968	—		Military
10	Jean-Baptiste Hachème (1929–1998)[b]		19 December 1967	20 December 1967	–		Military
11	Maurice Kouandété (1932–2003)		20 December 1967	21 December 1967	–		Military
12	Alphonse Alley (1930–1987)		21 December 1967	17 July 1968	–		Military
_	Basile Adjou Moumouni (1922 – 2019)		5 May 1968	17 July 1968
13	Émile Derlin Zinsou (1918–2016)		17 July 1968	10 December 1969 (deposed.)	1968 (Jul)		Independent
14	Maurice Kouandété (1932–2003)[c]		10 December 1969	13 December 1969	–		Military
15	Paul-Émile de Souza (1930–1999)[d]		13 December 1969	7 May 1970	–		Military
16	Hubert Maga (1916–2000)[e]		7 May 1970	7 May 1972	–		RDD
Presidential Council (1970—1972)
17	Hubert Maga (1916–2000)		7 May 1970	7 May 1972
18	Sourou Migan Marcellin (1913—1989)		7 May 1970	7 May 1972
19	Justin Ahomadégbé-Tomêtin (1917—2002)		7 May 1970	7 May 1972
Presidential Council
20	Justin Ahomadégbé-Tomêtin (1917–2002)[e]		7 May 1972	26 October 1972 (deposed.)	–		PDD
21	Mathieu Kérékou (1933–2015)		26 October 1972	30 November 1975	–		Military
People's Republic of Benin
22	Mathieu Kérékou (1933–2015)		30 November 1975	1 March 1990	1980		Military, PRPB
Republic of Benin
23	Mathieu Kérékou (1933–2015)		1 March 1990	4 April 1991	–		PRPB / Independent
24	Nicéphore Soglo (1934–)		4 April 1991	4 April 1996	1991		RB
—	Adrien Houngbédji		4 April 1996	14 May 1998
25	Mathieu Kérékou (1933–2015)		4 April 1996	6 April 2006	1996 2001		Independent / FARD–Alafia
26	Thomas Boni Yayi (1951–)		6 April 2006	6 April 2016	2006 2011		Independent
—	Pascal Koupaki		28 May 2011	11 August 2013
—	Lionel Zinsou		6 April 2016	6 April 2016
27	Patrice Talon (1958–)		6 April 2016	6 April 2021	2016		Independent
28	Mariam Chabi Talata Zimé Yérima (1963 )		6 April 2021	6 April 2021			Independent
29	Patrice Talon (1958–)		6 April 2021	Incumbent	2021		Independent

Provisional Government (1963—1963)

	Portrait	Name (years of life)	Authority
		Coutoucou Hubert Maga(1916—2000)	27 October 1963	28 October 1963
		Justin Ahomadégbé-Tomêtin (1917—2002)
		Joseph Sourou Migan Marcellin (1913—1989)

Presidential Council (1970—1972)

(French: Conseil présidentiel)

1972 Dahomeyan coup d'état

	Portrait	Name (years of life)	Authority
		Coutoucou Hubert Maga(1916—2000)	1970	1972
		Justin Ahomadégbé-Tomêtin (1917—2002)
		Marcellin Joseph Sourou-Migan Apithy (1913—1989)

Notes

1. Styled as Head of the Provisional Government.
2. Styled as Chairman of the Revolutionary Committee.
3. Styled as Chief of Staff of the Army.
4. Styled as Chairman of the Directory.
5. Styled as Chairman of the Presidential Council.

See also

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