Togo: UNIR Leads Municipal Elections with Over 75% of Votes Amid Low Voter Turnout

Edited By: Aminata Diallo

Togo’s ruling party, Union for the Republic (UNIR), has emerged as the dominant force in the country’s recent municipal elections, winning more than 75% of the votes, according to preliminary results released this week. The elections, held in the wake of a controversial constitutional reform, have raised concerns over the consolidation of power by President Faure Gnassingbé, who could potentially remain in office indefinitely under the new framework.

UNIR secured 1,150 municipal seats, while opposition parties such as the National Alliance for Change (ANC) and the Union of Forces for Change (UFC) obtained 51 and 38 seats respectively. Despite the scale of the ruling party’s victory, voter turnout was noticeably low, with many polling stations in the capital Lomé remaining empty, a likely consequence of recent protests against Gnassingbé’s extended rule and the government’s heavy-handed response at the end of June.

While the results remain provisional, political parties have five days to submit appeals before the outcome becomes official. The elections mark a pivotal moment in Togo’s political trajectory, as critics warn that institutional reforms, coupled with electoral dominance, may erode democratic checks and deepen authoritarian tendencies in the West African nation.