A massive turnout of demonstrators took to the streets of Vogan, a town in southern Togo, on Sunday to voice their opposition to the 2024 constitutional reform. Critics argue the changes serve as a tool to extend President Faure Gnassingbé’s decades-long rule, sparking renewed public anger.
The protest, orchestrated by the National Framework for Change in Togo (CNCC)—a coalition of opposition parties and civil society groups—marked the second major gathering in three months. The first rally, held in early May, drew a smaller but still significant crowd, highlighting the opposition’s struggle to mobilize consistently in a climate of rising tensions.
Participants carried signs emblazoned with messages like “No to unconstitutional government changes” and “Constitutional coup”, branding the reform as a blatant power grab. David Dosseh, spokesperson for the Citizen Front Togo Debout (FCTD), one of the driving forces behind the movement, condemned the move.
“The 2024 Constitution is a sham—a constitutional coup that the people of Togo will never accept,” Dosseh declared during the rally, underscoring the deepening divide between the government and its critics.
The controversial reform, which came into force last year, dismantles Togo’s direct presidential election system in favor of a parliamentary model. Under the new structure, the highest executive position—the President of the Council—is now held by Gnassingbé, who has led the country since 2005. While the government frames the changes as a step toward stronger democratic representation, opponents see a calculated effort to entrench its leader’s grip on power.
Protests against the reform have turned violent in the past. In 2025, clashes erupted, resulting in seven civilian deaths according to civil society reports, though prosecutors cited five drowning deaths as the official toll. The discrepancy has only fueled further distrust in official narratives.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Court of Justice weighed in on January 29, ruling that the reform amounted to an “unconstitutional change of government.” However, Togo’s government swiftly dismissed the verdict, arguing that the court lacks authority to meddle in domestic constitutional matters, restricting its role to human rights oversight.
