Togolese in Nigeria Protest against Faure’s Fourth Term Bid

Togolese nationals in Nigeria have taken over the street to protest against President Faure Gnassingbe’s bid to run for a fourth term in office.

Ekohotblog has it that the protest held at the Embassies of France and Togo in Lagos on Friday.

The protest started from the Embassy of France in Lagos, through the residence of the All Progressives Congress’ national leader, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, and ended at the Togo Embassy’s Liaison office.

Gnassingbe, who was re-elected this year for a fourth term, has led the country of eight million people since taking over in 2005 after the death of his father Gnassingbe Eyadema, who ruled with an iron fist for 38 years.

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Faure came to power in 2005 on the platform of Rassemblement du Peuple Togolais (RPT), his father’s party. Midway through his two terms in office, Faure dissolved the party to pave the way for a new one, Union pour la République (UNIR), in 2010.

A constitutional amendment in 2002 allows for two terms of 10 years, the president returned to power on the ticket of the new party for a third term.

Despite a massive protest that trailed the election, Faure had his way. According to official results, the incumbent Faure Gnassingbe won a fourth term with nearly 71 percent of the vote while Kodjo, 65, won just under 20 percent, an outcome that Kodjo says was rigged.

But Togolese in the diaspora have called on global leaders to intervene in the affairs of the West African country.