Togo opposition launches first meeting against 2024 constitution

Togo opposition coalition holds landmark meeting to challenge constitutional reforms

Lomé, Togo — A newly formed opposition alliance in Togo marked a significant moment in the country’s political landscape by organizing its first public gathering in Lomé this past Saturday, May 9. The Cadre National de Concertation pour le Changement au Togo (CNCC), comprising four opposition parties and multiple civil society organizations, convened the meeting to voice strong opposition against the controversial 2024 constitutional amendments that critics argue consolidate power for the incumbent leadership.

Togo opposition coalition holds first meeting to protest constitutional changes

The opposition coalition’s inaugural event follows over a year without significant public demonstrations in Togo, signaling a potential resurgence of political mobilization. The CNCC’s formation represents a united front against the 2024 constitutional revisions, which critics claim were engineered to extend the current administration’s grip on power.

Constitutional reforms under fire

The contested amendments, passed last year, eliminated direct presidential elections in favor of a parliamentary system where the Prime Minister holds the highest executive power — a position currently occupied by President Faure Gnassingbé. Opposition leaders condemn these changes as undemocratic manipulation designed to perpetuate one-party dominance.
“The Togolese people must demonstrate that we refuse to accept this constitutional fraud,” declared David Dosseh, spokesperson for the Front Citoyen Togo Debout (FCTD), a prominent civil society group. “This gathering marks the beginning of our renewed mobilization efforts.”

Voices from the opposition

During the meeting, opposition figures including Jean-Pierre Fabre, leader of the Alliance Nationale pour le Changement (ANC), addressed pressing concerns about political repression. Fabre highlighted the case of Honoré Sitsopé Sokpor, a poet and activist known by his alias “Affectio,” who was re-arrested on May 4 — just months after his conditional release. Sokpor has been a vocal critic of government policies.
“This is arbitrary detention, pure persecution,” Fabre asserted. “The authorities are systematically silencing dissent.”