President of Togo

The president of Togo, officially the president of the Togolese Republic, is the head of state of Togo. The role is mostly ceremonial now, but the president still has some important duties. The current president is Jean-Lucien Savi de Tové, who began his term on 3 May 2025. He is the oldest president in Togolese history.

In the past, the president of Togo had a lot of power over the country. But in April 2024, Togo changed its government system. These changes made the president’s role more symbolic and moved the country toward a parliamentary system.

Even after these changes, the president is still the commander-in-chief of the Togolese Armed Forces. The president can also choose the leader of the government. Another big change is how presidents are chosen. Now, they are selected by Parliament, not by a vote of the citizens.

Five people have been president of Togo. This does not include one acting president and two interim military leaders. One president, Faure Gnassingbé, served two separate times. His first term started after the death of his father, Gnassingbé Eyadéma, in February 2005. His second term began later that same month and ended in May 2025.

Description of the office

The president of Togo is chosen by a special group called an electoral college. This group has members from the National Assembly and the Senate. The president serves for four years and can be chosen again for a second term.

To become president, a person must be over 50 years old and a Togolese citizen by birth. The new president makes a promise to follow the country's laws and work for the people. If the president can no longer serve, the leader of the National Assembly takes over until a new election.

Residences

After Togo became independent, the president used the Palace of the Governors as both an office and a home. This palace was used by leaders from Germany and France before Togo’s independence. In 1970, President Gnassingbé Eyadéma moved into a new Presidential Palace close to the old one. He also used another home called the Presidential Residence of Lomé II. In 2006, President Faure Gnassingbé opened a new Presidential Palace on the edge of Lomé, with help from China.

List of officeholders

Here are the political groups that have been involved with the leaders of Togo:

• Party of Togolese Unity (PUT)
• Togolese People's Movement (MPT)
• Rally of the Togolese People (RPT)
• Union for the Republic (UNIR)
• Pan-African Patriotic Convergence (CPP)

Some leaders have also come from the Military.

Special marks show extra information about how some leaders came to power or left office:

• ^§ means they were elected without any other candidates.
• ^P means there was a vote just for the president.
• ^† means the leader passed away while in office.

Timeline

The president of Togo is the head of the country. The president has some important duties, but the prime minister mainly runs the government. As of May 3, 2025, the current president is Jean-Lucien Savi de Tové.

Latest election

Main article: 2025 Togolese presidential election

The last election for the president of Togo was in 2025. Jean-Lucien Savi de Tové won, and he started his job as president on May 3, 2025. This election chose the leader of the country.