Togo opposition launches first major rally against constitutional reform
Togo opposition launches first major rally against constitutional reform
Lomé, Togo — A newly formed opposition coalition, the Cadre national de concertation pour le changement au Togo (CNCC), staged its inaugural public gathering in Lomé on Saturday, May 9. The event marks a significant escalation in the political opposition’s efforts to challenge the controversial 2024 constitutional amendments that critics argue consolidate President Faure Gnassingbé’s grip on power.
After years of limited public demonstrations, the opposition’s return to the streets signals renewed resistance to Togo’s political landscape. The CNCC unites four opposition parties alongside civil society groups, presenting a united front against the 2024 constitutional changes.
challenging constitutional amendments
The reforms, widely condemned by opposition figures, eliminate direct presidential elections and shift power to a parliamentary system where the president of the Council—currently occupied by Gnassingbé—holds the highest authority. “This constitution represents a betrayal of the Togolese people’s will. We must show we remain defiant,” declared David Dosseh, spokesperson for Front citoyen Togo debout (FCTD), a prominent civil society organization.
voices from the opposition
Prominent opposition leader Jean-Pierre Fabre of the Alliance nationale pour le changement (ANC) highlighted the case of activist Honoré Sitsopé Sokpor, known as “Affectio,” who was re-arrested on May 4—a move Fabre labeled “arbitrary and relentless persecution.”