List of presidents of Benin
| President of the Republic of Benin | |
|---|---|
 | |
.jpg) Romuald Wadagni since 24 May 2026 | |
| 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] |
This is a list of presidents of Benin (formerly Dahomey) since the formation of the post of President in 1960, to the present day.
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
- 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) |
.png) |
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) |
.jpg) |
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 | 2024 | 2021 | Independent | |
| — | Col Djimon Dieudonne | 2024 | 2024 | ||||
| — | Olivier Boko | 2024 | 2024 | ||||
| — | Oswald Homéky | 2024 | 2024 | ||||
| — | Elonm Mario Metonou | 2024 | 2024 | ||||
| 30 | Patrice Talon
(1958–) |
|
2024 | 6 December 2025 | |||
| — | Mariam Chabi Talata Zimé Yérima
(1963 ) |
6 December 2025 | 6 December 2025 | ||||
| — | Benin of Military Committee for Refoundation | 6 December 2025 | 8 December 2025 | ||||
| — | Pascal Tigri | 6 December 2025 | 7 December 2025 | ||||
| — | Ousmane Samary | 7 December
2025 |
7 December
2025 |
||||
| — | Sambieni Castro | 7 December
2025 |
7 December
2025 |
||||
| 31 | Patrice Talon
(1958–) |
|
7 December
2025 |
Incumbent | |||
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) | ||||