presidential elections were held in dahomey from 9 march to 28 march 1970. voting took place "in one province at a time" in dahomey's six departments. however, on 28 march, the ruling military council suspended further voting because of violence between supporters of the three main candidates. at the time the voting was halted, justin ahomadégbé-tomêtin of dahomey's had received a plurality of the vote, but disagreements between factions in other parts of the country led to the results being annulled. the compromise announced by the military junta on 1 may was to appoint the three leading candidates – former presidents sourou-migan apithy and hubert maga, and former prime minister ahomadégbé-tomêtin – to a three-man presidential council to rule the country, rotating the presidency every two years, effectively declaring all three men as the election winners. maga served the first two-year term, before handing over to ahomadégbé in 1972, who was then removed from office by a coup led by mathieu kérékou later in the year. voter turnout in the election was 56.7%.