Apiti, Suru Migan

His parents belonged to the Huns. An elementary course was held at a missionary Catholic school in Porto Novo. He received his secondary education in Bordeaux, then studies in Paris at the Free School of Political Sciences, the National School of Economic and Social Organization, and the Center for Advanced Studies at the Office of the Chamber of Commerce of Paris. He served in various French accounting firms.

With the outbreak of World War II he was drafted into the French army (artillery officer), but in June 1940 he was demobilized due to the defeat of France. In September 1945 he returned to Dahomey and was actively involved in social and political life. In the October 1945 elections, he won the Constituent Assembly of the Fourth Republic. In June 1946 he was elected to the second Constituent Assembly, in November to the French National Assembly, in December to the General Council of Dahomey (the colony's legislative and advisory body), which he headed, and in November 1947 to the Grand Council of French West Africa. In fact, he led the Dagomean most influential political party - the Dagomean Progressive Union (DPS), created in 1946 on the basis of the "election committees". In October 1946, he took over as one of the vice-chairmen of the newly formed inter-territorial party of French West Africa - the African Democratic Association (ADO).

Having joined the ADO, associated with the French Communist Party, Apiti already in 1948 leaves it under the pressure of the Catholic Church. These and other inconsistent steps of the politician led to the loss of his political influence. Before the June 1951 elections to the French parliament, the DPS leadership refused to put him first on the party list. Then he put forward his own list and won, being able to win over both the mass voter and the traditional elite of his native region - Southeast Dagomei. Immediately after the election, he founded the Dahomey Republican Party (DRP). In March 1952, in the elections to the Territorial Assembly (the new name of the General Council), the DRP received a relative majority of the mandates and entered into a coalition with the second-largest EWSD, so that the politician was able to retain the post of chairman of the Assembly. In the elections to the French Union Assembly in November 1953, the two parties put forward a single list and won.

In January 1956, he was re-elected to the French parliament. After the split of the parliamentary coalition in April 1956, he failed to maintain the post of chairman of the Territorial Assembly. However, the very next year, when his party received an absolute majority, he returned to this post. After the creation of the Government Council - the new highest executive body of the colony - he is appointed by its vice-chairman. During a referendum in the fall of 1958 on the new constitution of the French community, he opposed the idea of ​​the independence of Dahomey and supported the idea of ​​maintaining close ties with France while maximizing political autonomy. In December of that year, he became the first Prime Minister of Dahomey as part of the French community.

The fall in his popularity forced the politician to rig the elections in early 1959, but after mass demonstrations he was forced to transfer some of the mandates of the opposition, having lost an absolute majority in the legislature. The “government of national unity” formed by him turned out to be short-lived even in May when he resigned. In the new office, he received an insignificant ministerial post without a briefcase and was soon deprived of this post because of his desire to return to power.

In March 1960, the Democratic Party and the Dagomean Progressive Party of Emil Derlen Zinsu teamed up in the Dagomei Nationalist Party (PND). After the independence of Dahomey was declared, the president of the Magus appointed him first as deputy prime minister, and then vice president of the Republic of Dahomey. Both leaders agreed to create a ruling party - the Dahomey Unity Party, membership in which became mandatory for high-level functionaries. However, relations with the head of state soon worsened and he was sent as ambassador to France (1962-1963).

After the overthrow of President Mage in 1963, Colonel Christoph Soglo appointed Apity Minister of Finance, Economic Affairs and Planning. In December, together with Ahomadegbe, he created the Dahomey Democratic Party (PDP). In the January elections of 1964 he was elected president of the country, and the DDP won all the seats in parliament. However, this alliance became fragile, Apiti made a bet on cooperation with the Soviet Union and recognized the PRC, breaking diplomatic relations with Taiwan. This caused dissatisfaction of the vice president and the military. Amid a crisis in the economy, unrest in the north of the country and the decision to reduce the salaries of civil servants by 25%, the ruling regime began repressions against opposition supporters. At the end of November 1965, the executive committee of the ruling party expelled the head of state from his ranks and demanded his resignation. Then a specially convened “People’s Assembly” consisting of members of parliament, leaders of the PDP and activists of public organizations deprived Apiti of presidential powers and handed them over to Ahomadegba. But two days later, General Soglo secured the resignation of both politicians.

Apiti emigrated to France, where he continued his political activities. Together with his former adversary of the Magician, he launched a campaign for a boycott of the presidential election on May 5, 1968. After the next military coup in December 1969, he returned to Dahomey and stood for the presidential election in March 1970. After their cancellation, he entered the Presidential Council in composition: Apiti, Magician and Ahomadegbe. After a military coup led by Major Mathieu Kerekou in October 1972, he was arrested by the military authorities and spent eight and a half years in prison. After his release in April 1981, he emigrated to France again, where he spent the last years of his life working on memoirs.

• Carter, Gwendolen Margaret (ed.) (1963), Dahomey, Five African States; Responses to Diversity: the Congo, Dahomey, the Cameroun Federal Republic, the Rhodesias and Nyasaland, South Africa, Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press, OCLC 413212.
• Danopoulos, Constantine Panos (1988), The Decline of Military Regimes: The Civilian Influence, Boulder, Colorado: Westview Press, ISBN 0-8133-7304-2 , OCLC 15162972.
• Decalo, Samuel (December 1970), “Full Circle in Dahomey,” African Studies Review, African Studies Association, 13 (3): 445–457, doi: 10.2307 / 523497, JSTOR 523497.
• Decalo, Samuel (April 1973), Regionalism, Politics, and the Military in Dahomey, The Journal of Developing Areas, College of Business, Tennessee State University, 7 (3), JSTOR 4190033.
• Decalo, Samuel (1976), Historical Dictionary of Dahomey (People's Republic of Benin), Metuchen, New Jersey: Scarecrow Press, ISBN 0-8108-0833-1 , OCLC 1959674.