Mathieu Kérékou

Mathieu Kérékou, (2 September 1933 – 14 October 2015) was a Beninese politician. He was President of Benin from 1972 to 1991 and again from 1996 to 2006.
After seizing power in a military coup, he ruled the country for 17 years. He was defeated in the 1991 presidential election, but was returned to the presidency in the 1996 election and controversially re-elected in 2001.