First Lady of Benin
First Lady of Benin | |
---|---|
Residence | Palais de la Marina, Cotonou |
Inaugural holder | Marie do Régo |
Formation | August 1, 1960 |
First Lady of Benin (French: Première Dame de la République de Bénin) is the title attributed to the wife of the President of Benin.[1] Claudine Talon, wife of Patrice Talon, became first lady on her husband's election as president on April 6, 2016.[1] There had been no "first gentleman", or its equivalent, as of 2023[update].
History and role
Prior to 1975, when the country's name was changed from the Republic of Dahomey to Benin, the holder of the position was known as the First Lady of Dahomey or wife of the president of Dahomey.
Under the
First ladies since Benin's transition from dictatorship to a multi-party system are: Rosine Vieyra Soglo (1991–1996), Marguerite Kérékou (1996–2006), Chantal Yayi (2006–2016), and Claudine Talon (since 2016).[1]
The modern Beninese first ladies have entered politics and other arenas. For example, in 1992 then-First Lady Rosine Vieyra Soglo founded the Benin Rebirth Party (RB) to help garner political support for her husband and his political goals, becoming the first Beninese woman to establish a political party.[1][2] Vieyra Soglo's successor[1](and predecessor), Marguerite Kérékou, had a lower profile, but remained a confidante and advisor to her husband, President Mathieu Kérékou.[1] Chantal Yayi, first lady from 2006 to 2016, assisted her older brother, Marcel de Souza, with the creation of a new party.[1]
First Ladies of Benin
Names | Portrait | Term Began | Term Ended | President of Benin | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Marie do Régo | August 1, 1960 | October 22, 1963 | Hubert Maga | Inaugural First Lady of the She died in 2007. | |
Paule Soglo | October 28, 1963 | January 25, 1964 | Christophe Soglo | Colonel Christophe Soglo came to power in the 1963 Dahomeyan coup d'état. His wife, Paule Soglo, died in 2003.[5] | |
? | January 25, 1964 | November 27, 1965 | Sourou-Migan Apithy | Apithy was married. | |
? | January 25, 1964 | November 29, 1965 | Justin Ahomadégbé-Tomêtin | Ahomadégbé was married. | |
? | November 29, 1965 | December 22, 1965 | Tahirou Congacou | ||
Paule Soglo | December 22, 1965 | December 19, 1967 | Christophe Soglo | Former First Lady Paule Soglo died in 2003. 1967 Dahomeyan coup d'état and was later deposed on December 19, 1967.
| |
? | December 18, 1967 | December 19, 1967 | Jean-Baptiste Hachème | Brief military ruler of Benin. Wife unknown. | |
? | December 20, 1967 | December 21, 1967 | Maurice Kouandété | Military ruler | |
? | December 21, 1967 | July 17, 1968 | Alphonse Alley | Military ruler | |
Florence Atayi Guy Gaspard | July 17, 1968 | December 10, 1969 | Émile Derlin Zinsou | President Derlin Zinsou was married to the late Florence Atayi Guy Gaspard. 1969 Dahomeyan coup d'état .
| |
? | December 10, 1969 | December 13, 1969 | Maurice Kouandété | Military ruler | |
Françoise De Souza | December 13, 1969 | May 7, 1970 | Paul-Émile de Souza | Former Dahomey first lady Françoise De Souza died on July 30, 2015.[7] | |
Marie do Régo | May 7, 1970 | May 7, 1972 | Hubert Maga | Second tenure as first lady during the Presidential Council. | |
? | May 7, 1972 | October 26, 1972 | Justin Ahomadégbé-Tomêtin | Wife became first lady during the Presidential Council. Husband overthrown in a military coup on October 26, 1972, ending the council.[8] | |
Symphorose Béatrice Lakoussan (divorced) Marguerite Kérékou[9](later) |
October 26, 1972 | April 4, 1991 | Mathieu Kérékou | Kérékou seized power in the née Midjo) Kérékou, as First Lady of Benin, especially during his second tenure as president (1996–2006).[9]
| |
Rosine Vieyra Soglo | April 4, 1991 | April 4, 1996 | Nicéphore Soglo | Rosine Vieyra Soglo was Benin's first First Lady of the country's democratic era. In 1992, First Lady Vieyra Soglo created the Benin Rebirth Party (RB), becoming the first Beninese woman to found a political party.[2] She later served in the National Assembly of Benin from 1999 to 2019 and the Pan-African Parliament from 2004 to 2009.[2] | |
Marguerite Kérékou | April 4, 1996 | April 6, 2006 | Mathieu Kérékou | Mathieu Kérékou rarely appeared in public with any wife during his first tenure in office (1972–1991). | |
Chantal de Souza Yayi | April 6, 2006 | April 6, 2016 | Thomas Boni Yayi | Yayi is a native of Ouidah.[10] | |
Claudine Talon | April 6, 2016 | Present | Patrice Talon | Born Claudine Gbènagnon. Incumbent First Lady of Benin since 2016. |
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Da Silva, Christopher (2016-04-28). "Rôle et place des Premières dames au Bénin: Quelle sera la marque de Claudine Talon?". La vraie info. Archived from the original on 27 November 2020. Retrieved 2021-07-27.
- ^ a b c Vidjingninou, Fiacre (2021-07-26). "Bénin – Décès de Rosine Soglo : hommages unanimes de la classe politique". Jeune Afrique. Archived from the original on 2021-07-27. Retrieved 2021-07-27.
- ^ a b "Un champion de l'unité dahoméenne: Hubert Maga". Le Monde. 1961-10-26. Archived from the original on 2021-07-24. Retrieved 2021-07-28.
- ^ Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung. Archived(PDF) from the original on 2021-07-20. Retrieved 2021-07-28.
- ^ a b Hessoun, Charly (2013-10-13). "Anniversaire de décès : prière en mémoire du Général Christophe Soglo et de son épouse". La Nouvelle Tribune. Archived from the original on 2021-01-27. Retrieved 2021-07-29.
- ^ "Deuil national / Le Bénin vient de perdre l'un de ses dignes fils: l'Ancien président de la République du Dahomey, Emile Derlin Zinsou. (L'intégralité d'un Entretien)". L-integration.com. 2016-08-01. Archived from the original on 2021-05-20. Retrieved 2021-07-29.
- ^ "Bénin: L'ex Première Dame Françoise De Souza s'en est allé". AfricaHotNews.com. 2015-07-31. Archived from the original on 2021-07-28. Retrieved 2021-07-28.
- ^ "Army Takes Power in Dahomey Coup", The Washington Post, p. A22, 27 October 1972, retrieved 2008-12-24.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-19-538207-5. Retrieved 2021-07-28.
- ^ a b Hessoun, Charly (2011-01-01). "La première dame Chantal Yayi dans le viseur des Ouidaniens". La Nouvelle Tribune. Archived from the original on 2021-01-16. Retrieved 2021-07-27.