Justin Ahomadegbé-Tomêtin
| Justin Ahomadégbé-Tomêtin | |
|---|---|
President Justin Ahomadégbé-Tomêtin
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| Premier of Dahomey | |
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In office January 25, 1964 – November 29, 1965 |
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| Preceded by | Christophe Soglo |
| Succeeded by | Christophe Soglo |
| Chairman of the Presidential Council of Dahomey | |
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In office May 7, 1972 – October 26, 1972 |
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| Preceded by | Hubert Maga |
| Succeeded by | Mathieu Kérékou (usurped) |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
January 16, 1917 Abomey, Dahomey |
| Died | March 8, 2002 (aged 85) Cotonou, Benin |
Justin Ahomadegbé-Tomêtin (January 16, 1917 – March 8, 2002) was a Beninese politician most active when his country was known as Dahomey. He arose on a political scene where one's power was dictated by what region of Dahomey one lived in. He served as president of the National Assembly of Dahomey from April 1959 to November 1960 and as prime minister of Benin from 1964 to 1965.
Ahomadégbé became President as part of a system that rotated the office between three leading political figures: Ahomadégbé, Hubert Maga, and Sourou-Migan Apithy. Maga peacefully handed power to Ahomadégbé on May 7, 1972. On October 26, 1972, he was overthrown in a coup d'état led by Mathieu Kérékou. All three remained under house arrest until 1981.
Ahomadégbé-Tomêtin was born on January 16, 1917, a direct descendant of the kings of Abomey, the town of his birth. He attended the Ecole William Ponty and the French West Africa School of Medicine in Dakar. He served in the French Army for a short while, where he attained the rank of sergeant. After his short military career, Ahomadégbé-Tomêtin decided to pursue dentistry, opening an office in Porto Novo.
Originally a member of the Dahomeyan Progressive Union (UPD), in 1946 he established the African People's Bloc (BPA), and was elected to the General Council shortly afterwards. He was re-elected in 1952. In 1955 the BPA merged with the UPD to established the Dahomeyan Democratic Union (UDD). He was a vocal critic of the French rule, and gained influence upon allying himself with trade unions. Using this, Ahomadégbé-Tomêtin was elected Mayor of Abomey in November 1956 elections.
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