List of presidents of Benin explained

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

	Portrait	Name	Elected	Term of office			Political affiliation	Prime minister(s)
	Portrait	Name	Elected	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Political affiliation	Prime minister(s)
Republic of Dahomey (1960–1975)
1		Hubert Maga	1960	1960	1963		RDD	Himself
–		Christophe Soglo	—	1963	1964		Military	Position abolished
2		Sourou-Migan Apithy	1964	1964	1965		PDD	Ahomadégbé-Tomêtin
–		Justin Ahomadégbé-Tomêtin	—	1965	1965		PDD	Himself
–		Tahirou Congacou	—	1965	1965		PDD	Position abolished
3		Christophe Soglo	—	1965	1967		Military	Position abolished
–		Jean-Baptiste Hachème	—	1967	1967		Military	Position abolished
–		Maurice Kouandété	—	1967	1967		Military	Position abolished
–		Alphonse Alley	—	1967	1968		Military	Kouandété
4		Émile Derlin Zinsou	1968 (Jul)	1968	1969		Independent	Position abolished
–		Maurice Kouandété	—	1969	1969		Military	Position abolished
–		Paul-Émile de Souza	—	1969	1970		Military	Position abolished
		Hubert Maga	—	1970	1972	years	RDD	Position abolished
		Justin Ahomadégbé-Tomêtin	—	1972	1972		PDD	Position abolished
5		Mathieu Kérékou	—	1972	1975		Military	Position abolished
People's Republic of Benin (1975–1990)
		Mathieu Kérékou	1980^[1] 1984 1989	1975	1990		Military / PRPB	Position abolished
Republic of Benin (1990–present)
		Mathieu Kérékou	—	1990	1991		PRPB / Independent	Soglo
6		Nicéphore Soglo	1991	1991	1996	years	RB	Position abolished
		Mathieu Kérékou	1996 2001	1996	2006		Independent / FARD–Alafia	Houngbédji
7		Thomas Boni Yayi	2006 2011	2006	2016	years	Independent	Koupaki Zinsou
8		Patrice Talon	2016 2021	2016	Incumbent		Independent	Position abolished