Politics of Benin century until the colonial period, the Kingdom of Dahomey (whose borders encompassed more than present day Benin) was ruled by an "Oba". The French were the colonial power from 1892 to 1960, when independence was finally achieved. Between 1960 and 1972, a series of military coups in Benin (known until 1975 as the Republic of Dahomey) brought about many changes of government. The last of these brought Major Mathieu Kérékou to power as the head of a regime professing strict Marxist-Leninist principles. The Revolutionary Party of the People of Benin (PRPB) remained in complete power until the beginning of the
Opanda Kingdom years later Ohimi's brother Owutu founded the present-day Kotonkarfe (Igu). A third group, led by Ohimenegedu, the grandson of Ohemi, moved east in 1750 and reoccupied the city of Opanda in the present-day Nasarawa state. The sister kingdoms of Opanda and Kotonkarfe flourished side by side for some time until they were attacked by the Nupe/Nulani from the west and the Fulani from the north. Opanda Kingdom Opanda Kingdom was an ancient African kingdom located in what is now Nigeria. The ancient Opanda Kingdom was founded by the Egbiras ethnic group. Its growth culminated in the Umaisha (Yimaha), which is