In this post, we discussed the past presidents of Chad starting from the time of Independence till date, we further explained their term limits in Office.
HEAD OF STATES
The head of state is the head of state and the head of the government is the prime minister. This is a list of heads of state of Chad since the country gained independence from France in 1960 to the present day.
A total of six people have served as head of state of Chad (not counting two Interim Heads of State). Additionally, one person, Goukouni Oueddei, has served on two non-consecutive occasions.
The current head of state of Chad is Mahamat Déby, since 20 April 2021, when he took power in a military coup following the death of his father, President Idriss Déby. Mahamat Déby was President of the Transitional Military Council, a military junta, from 20 April 2021 until 10 October 2022, when he was sworn in as Transitional President of the Republic following a “national dialogue”.
TERM LIMITS
In 2018, new Constitution of Chad reinstated two-term limits for the president. It also changed the length of the term from five years to six years.
TITLES
1960–1962: Head of State
1962–1975: President of the Republic
1975: Chairman of the Supreme Military Council
1975–1978: Head of State
1978–1979: President of the Republic
1979: Chairman of the Provisional Council of State
Read: POLITICAL HISTORY OF CHAD
1979: President of the Transitional Government of National Unity
1979: Chairman of the Provisional Administrative Committee
1979–1982: President of the Transitional Government of National Unity
1982: Chairman of the Command Council of the Armed Forces of the North
1982: Chairman of the Council of State
1982–1990: President of the Republic
1990: President of the Patriotic Salvation Movement
1990–1991: President of the Council of State
1991–2021: President of the Republic
2021–2022: President of the Transitional Military Council
2022–present: President of the Republic
LIST OF OFFICEHOLDERS
| No. | Name (Birth–Death) |
Elected | Term of office | Political party | Prime minister(s) | ||||
| Took office | Left office | Time in office | |||||||
| 1 | François Tombalbaye (1918–1975) |
1962 1969 |
11 August 1960 | 13 April 1975 (assassinated) |
14 years, 245 days | PPT / MNRCS | Position not established | ||
| – | Noël Milarew Odingar (1932–2007) |
— | 13 April 1975 | 15 April 1975 | 2 days | Military | Position not established | ||
| 2 | Félix Malloum (1932–2009) |
— | 15 April 1975 | 23 March 1979 (resigned) |
3 years, 342 days | Military | Habré | ||
| 3 | Goukouni Oueddei (born 1944) |
— | 23 March 1979 | 29 April 1979 | 37 days | FROLINAT–FAP | Position vacant | ||
| 4 | Lol Mahamat Choua (1939–2019) |
— | 29 April 1979 | 3 September 1979 | 127 days | MPLT | Position vacant | ||
| (3) | Goukouni Oueddei (born 1944) |
— | 3 September 1979 | 7 June 1982 (deposed) |
2 years, 277 days | FROLINAT–FAP | Ngardoum (from 19 May 1982) |
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| 5 | Hissène Habré (1942–2021) |
1989 (referendum) |
7 June 1982 | 2 December 1990 (ousted) |
8 years, 178 days | FAN / UNIR | Ngardoum (until 19 May 1982) |
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| 6 | Idriss Déby (1952–2021) |
1996 2001 2006 2011 2016 2021 |
2 December 1990 | 20 April 2021 (killed in action) |
30 years, 139 days | MPS | Bawoyeu Yodoyman Moungar Koumakoye Djimasta Ouaido Yamassoum Kabadi Faki Yoadimnadji Younousmi Koumakoye Abbas Nadingar Dadnadji Deubet Padacké Post abolished: 2018–2021 |
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| – | Mahamat Déby (born 1984) |
— | 20 April 2021 | Incumbent | 2 years, 63 days | Military | Padacké Kebzabo |
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