Political Leaders: Benin

Leaders of Benin
(Republic of Benin; to 1975, Republic of Dahomey)

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Active names link to their correspondant biography at the CIDOB website.

Parties: RDD: Dahomey Democratic Rally; PRD: Dahomey Republican Party; UDD: Dahomey Democratic Union; PDD: Dahomey Democratic Party (*1964, merger of PRD and UDD); PRPB: Party of the Beninese People's Revolution; PRB: Party for the Rebirth of Benin; FARD: Action Front for Renewal and Development; PRD (90s): Democratic Renewal Party; n/p: non-party

Heads of State

President of the Republic
Coutoucou Hubert Maga       1 Aug 1960 - 27 Oct 1963 (+2000) [picture]  RDD (1)

Provisional Government 
Coutoucou Hubert Maga                                (+2000) [picture]  RDD
Sourou-Migan Apithy                                  (+1989) [picture]  PRD
Justin Ahomadegbé-Tomêtin  27 Oct 1963 - 28 Oct 1963 (+2002) [picture]  UDD

Head of the Provisional Government
Christophe Soglo           28 Oct 1963 - 25 Jan 1964 (+1983)            military 

Presidents of the Republic
Sourou-Migan Apithy        25 Jan 1964 - 27 Nov 1965 (+1989) [picture]  PDD
Justin Ahomadegbé-Tomêtin  27 Nov 1965 - 29 Nov 1965 (+2002) [picture]  PDD (acting)
Tahirou Congacou           29 Nov 1965 - 22 Dec 1965 (+2004)            PDD (acting)
Christophe Soglo           22 Dec 1965 - 19 Dec 1967 (+1989)            military

Chairman of the Revolutionary Committee
Jean-Baptiste Hachème      19 Dec 1967 - 20 Dec 1967                    military 

Heads of State
Iropa Maurice Kouandété    20 Dec 1967 - 21 Dec 1967 (+2003) [picture]  military  
Alphonse Amadou Alley      21 Dec 1967 - 17 Jul 1968 (+1987) [picture]  military   

President of the Republic
Émile Derlin Henri Zinsou  17 Jul 1968 - 10 Dec 1969         [picture]

Chief of Staff of Army
Iropa Maurice Kouandété    10 Dec 1969 - 13 Dec 1969 (+2003) [picture]  military   

Directory
Paul-Émile de Souza (chair)                          (+1999)            military
Iropa Maurice Kouandété                              (+2003)            military
Benoît Sinzogan            13 Dec 1969 -  7 May 1970                    military    

Chairmen of the Presidential Council (2) 
Coutoucou Hubert Maga       7 May 1970 -  7 May 1972 (+2000) [picture]  RDD
Justin Ahomadegbé-Tomêtin   7 May 1972 - 26 Oct 1972 (+2002) [picture]  PDD

Presidents of the Republic
Mathieu Kérékou            26 Oct 1972 -  4 Apr 1991         [picture]  military/PRPB (3)
Nicéphore Dieudonné Soglo   4 Apr 1991 -  4 Apr 1996         [picture]  PRB
Mathieu Kérékou             4 Apr 1996 -  6 Apr 2006         [picture]  FARD
Yayi Boni                   6 Apr 2006 -                     [picture]  n/p

(1) Maga was styled head of State to 31 Dec 1960.
(2) The three-men Presidential Council (Maga, Ahomadegbé, Apithy) was introduced in 1970 on a two-year rotating basis. The second chairmanship, Ahomadegbé's, was disrupted by a military coup.
(3) Head of National Council of the Revolution (CNR) to 1980. In that year Kérékou was inaugurated as a civilian president.

Prime ministers

Coutoucou Hubert Maga      22 May 1959 - 31 Dec 1960 (+2000) [picture]  RDD
Justin Ahomadegbé-Tomêtin  25 Jan 1964 - 29 Nov 1965 (+2002) [picture]  PDD
Iropa Maurice Kouandété    21 Dec 1967 - 17 Jul 1968 (+2003) [picture]  military
Nicéphore Soglo            12 Mar 1990 -  4 Apr 1991         [picture]  n/p
Adrien Houngbédji           9 Apr 1996 - 14 May 1998         [picture]  PRD

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