List of presidents of Togo

Election

The president of the Republic is elected by universal, direct and secret suffrage for a mandate of five (05) years.^[1]

He is re-eligible.^[1] As of 2021, there is a two-term limit for the president in the Constitution of Togo which was reinstated in 2019. This limit has been lifted for Gnassingbé Eyadéma in 2002 and for Faure Gnassingbé in 2019.^[2]

The election of the president of the Republic takes place by uninominal majority ballot in one (01) round.^[3]

The president of the Republic is elected with the majority of the suffrage expressed.^[3]

The vote is opened on convocation of the electoral body by decree taken in the Council of Ministers sixty (60) days at least and seventy-five (75) days at most before the expiration of the mandate of the president in office.^[4]

No one may be a candidate for the office of the president of the Republic if they:^[5]

1. are not exclusively of Togolese nationality by birth;
2. are not thirty-five (35) years of age on the date of the deposit of the candidature;
3. do not enjoy all their civil and political rights;
4. do not present a general state of physical and mental well-being duly declared by three (03) sworn physicians, designated by the Constitutional Court;
5. do not reside in the national territory for at least twelve (12) months.

The president of the Republic enters office within the fifteen days which follow the proclamation of the results of the presidential election.^[6]

Oath of office

Before his entry into office, the president of the Republic swears before the Constitutional Court meeting in solemn hearing, in these terms:^[7]

Before God and before the Togolese people, sole holders of popular sovereignty, We _____, elected President of the Republic in accordance with the laws of the Republic, solemnly swear.

— to respect and to defend the Constitution that the Togolese people have freely given themselves;

— to loyally fulfill the high functions that the Nation has confided in us.

— to be guided solely by the general interest and the respect of the rights of the human person, to consecrate all our forces to the promotion of development, of the common good, of peace and of national unity;

— to preserve the integrity of the national territory;

— to conduct our self at all times, as a faithful and loyal servant of the People.

Vacancy

In case of a vacancy of the presidency of the Republic by death, resignation or definitive incapacity, the presidential function is exercised provisionally by the president of the National Assembly.^[8]

The vacancy is declared by the Constitutional Court referred to [the matter] by the Government.^[8]

The Government convokes the electoral body within the sixty (60) days of the opening of the vacancy for the election of a new president of the Republic.^[8]

After independence, the President of Togo used the Palace of the Governors as an office and residence. The Palace was formerly used by both German and French colonial administrators. In 1970, President Gnassingbé Eyadéma moved in a new Presidential Palace built near the Palace of the Governors. Another residence used by the Gnassingbé Eyadéma was the Presidential Residence of Lomé II. In 2006, a new Presidential Palace, financed by China, was inaugurated by President Faure Gnassingbé on the outskirts of Lomé.^[9]

Political parties

Other factions

Status

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Elected	Term of office			Political party	Prime minister(s)
				Took office	Left office	Time in office
1		Sylvanus Olympio (1902–1963)	1961	27 April 1960	13 January 1963 (Assassinated in a coup)	2 years, 261 days	CUT	Himself
–		Emmanuel Bodjollé (1928–?)[a]	—	13 January 1963	15 January 1963	2 days	Military	Position abolished
2		Nicolas Grunitzky (1913–1969)	1963	16 January 1963	13 January 1967 (Deposed in a coup)	3 years, 362 days	MPT	Position abolished
–		Kléber Dadjo (1914–1988/89)[b]	—	16 January 1967	14 April 1967	91 days	Military	Position abolished
3		Gnassingbé Eyadéma (1935–2005)[c]	—	14 April 1967	5 February 2005 (Died in office)	37 years, 297 days	Military (until 1969)	Koffigoh E. Kodjo Klutse Adoboli A. Kodjo Sama
			1972 1979 1986 1993 1998 2003				RPT
4		Faure Gnassingbé (born 1966)[d]	—	5 February 2005[e]	25 February 2005 (Resigned)[f]	20 days	RPT	Sama
–		Bonfoh Abass (1948–2021)[g]	—	25 February 2005	4 May 2005	68 days	RPT	Sama
(4)		Faure Gnassingbé (born 1966)[d]	2005 2010	4 May 2005	Incumbent	18 years, 359 days	RPT (until 2012)	Sama E. Kodjo Agboyibo Mally Houngbo Ahoomey-Zunu Klassou Dogbé
			2015 2020				UNIR

• Vice President of Togo
• List of prime ministers of Togo
• List of colonial governors of Togo
• Politics of Togo

• World Statesmen – Togo
• 1992 Constitution of Togo (as amended in 2007)(in English)