| Tenure |
Incumbent |
Affiliation |
Notes |
| Dahomey |
Overseas Territory of France |
| 25 May 1957 to 26 July 1958 |
Sourou-Migan Apithy, Vice President of the Government Council |
PD |
|
| 26 July 1958 to 4 December 1958 |
Sourou-Migan Apithy, President of the Government Council |
|
| Republic of Dahomey |
Autonomous |
| (République de Dahomé) |
| 4 December 1958 to 22 May 1959 |
Sourou-Migan Apithy, President of the Provisional Government |
PD |
|
| 22 May 1959 to 1 August 1960 |
Coutoucou Hubert Maga, Prime Minister |
RDD |
|
| Republic of Dahomey |
Independence from France |
| (République de Dahomé) |
| 1 August 1960 to 31 December 1960 |
Coutoucou Hubert Maga, Prime Minister |
RDD |
Thereafter Head of Government performed by Head of State until 25 January 1964 |
| 31 December 1960 to 28 October 1963 |
Coutoucou Hubert Maga, President |
|
| 28 October 1963 to 25 January 1964 |
General Christophe Soglo, Head of the Provisional Government |
Mil |
|
| 25 January 1964 to 29 November 1965 |
Justin Ahomadegbé-Tomêtin, Prime Minister |
PD |
|
| 29 November 1965 to 21 December 1967 |
General Christophe Soglo, Prime Minister |
Mil |
|
| 21 December 1967 to 17 July 1968 |
Major Iropa Maurice Kouandété, Prime Minister |
Mil |
Thereafter Head of Government performed by Head of State until 12 March 1990 |
| 17 July 1968 to 10 December 1969 |
Émile Derlin Henri Zinsou, President |
|
Deposed |
| 10 December 1969 to 13 December 1969 |
Major Iropa Maurice Kouandété, Chief-of-Staff of the Army |
Mil |
2nd Term |
| 13 December 1969 to 7 May 1970 |
Paul-Émile de Souza, Chairman of the Directory |
Mil |
|
| 7 May 1970 to 7 May 1972 |
Major Coutoucou Hubert Maga, Chairman of the Presidential Council |
RDD |
2nd Term |
| 7 May 1972 to 26 October 1972 |
Justin Ahomadegbé-Tomêtin, Chairman of the Presidential Council |
PD |
2nd Term; deposed |
| 26 October 1972 to 30 November 1975 |
General Mathieu Kérékou, President |
Mil/PRPB |
1st Term |
| People’s Republic of Benin |
| (République populaire du Benin) |
| 30 November 1975 to 29 September 1980 |
General Mathieu Kérékou, President |
Mil/PRPB |
1st Term (contd.); changed name to Ahmed Kérékou on conversion to Islam |
| 29 September 1980 to c.1990 |
General Ahmed Kérékou, President of the Military Revolutionary Government and Head of State |
1st Term (contd.); previously named Mathieu Kérékou; shortly thereafter reportedly a Born-again Christian once again using Mathieu Kérékou; sometime Brigadier-General; re-elected 31 July 1984 |
| c.1990 to 1 March 1990 |
General Mathieu Kérékou, President and Head of the Armed Forces |
1st Term (contd.) |
| Republic of Benin (République du Benin) |
| 1 March 1990 to 12 March 1990 |
General Ahmed Mathieu Kérékou, President |
PRB |
1st Term (contd.) |
| 12 March 1990 to 4 April 1991 |
Nicéphore Dieudonné Soglo, Prime Minister |
n-p |
Becoming President; thereafter Head of Government performed by Head of State until 4 April 1996 |
| 4 April 1991 to 4 April 1996 |
Nicéphore Dieudonné Soglo, President |
PRB |
Inaugurated 4 April 1991 |
| 9 April 1996 to 14 May 1998 |
Adrien Houngbédji, Prime Minister |
PRD |
Thereafter Head of Government performed by Head of State up to present |
| 14 May 1998 to 6 April 2006 |
General Mathieu Ahmed Kérékou, President |
FARD |
2nd Term |
| 6 April 2006 to present |
Thomas Yayi Boni, President |
n-p |
Inaugurated 6 April 2006 |