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Jean-Lucien Savi de Tové

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His Excellency
Jean-Lucien Savi de Tové
5th President of Togo
Incumbent
Assumed office
3 May 2025
Prime MinisterFaure Gnassingbé
Preceded byFaure Gnassingbé
Minister of Trade, Industry and Handicrafts
In office
20 June 2005 – December 2007
Prime MinisterEdem Kodjo
Yawovi Agboyibo
Preceded byTankpadja Lalle
Succeeded byYandja Yentchabré
Personal details
Born
Jean-Lucien Kwassi Lanyo Savi de Tové

(1939-05-07) 7 May 1939 (age 86)
Lomé, French Togoland

Jean-Lucien Kwassi Lanyo Savi de Tové (born 7 May 1939) is a Togolese politician who has served as the fifth president of Togo since 2025.[1] He was previously the Minister of Trade, Industry and Handicrafts in the governments of Edem Kodjo and Yawovi Agboyibo from 2005 to 2007. A former opposition leader, he was imprisoned several times during the presidency of Gnassingbé Eyadéma before joining the government.

In May 2025, Savi de Tové was unanimously elected the president by the National Assembly following a 2024 constitutional reform which changed the way the president is elected from direct popular vote to being indirectly elected by the National Assembly. He took office succeeding Faure Gnassingbé, the son of Eyadéma, becoming the first officeholder of the now ceremonial role as most of the powers of the presidency that existed before were transferred to a new office called the president of the Council of Ministers due to the reform. The role was subsequently taken by Faure Gnassingbé, who retained most of his executive power. Aged nearly 86 when taking office, Savi de Tové is the oldest person to become president of Togo.

Early life and education

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Savi de Tové was born in Lomé to an Ewe family.[2][3][4] He graduated in law from the University of Bordeaux.[5]

Political career

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After the 1967 Togolese coup d'état, he was appointed Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 6 February 1967.[6] He was later replaced in 1974 by Kouanvi Tigoue (interim),[7] and permanently in 1975 by Kodjo de Medeiros.[8]

Accused of plotting a coup alongside other political figures, including Gilchrist Olympio, an arrest warrant was issued on 12 July 1979, and he was imprisoned.[9] He was convicted in August 1979 along with four others and sentenced to ten years in prison.[10]

After the legalization of multiparty politics, he founded the Party of Democrats for Unity (PDU).[11][12] In March 1993, the opposition coalition proposed him as Prime Minister during a meeting in Cotonou, Benin, criticizing PM Joseph Kokou Koffigoh's cooperation with President Eyadéma.[13][14][15] The official government rejected this nomination.[16][17]

He ran as an independent in the 1994 parliamentary elections but was not elected.[18]

In 1999, the PDU merged with other parties including the UTD and UTS to create the Pan-African Patriotic Convergence (CPP), led by Edem Kodjo.[19] Savi de Tové was appointed as first vice-president of the CPP.[20][21]

He was appointed Minister of Trade, Industry and Handicrafts on 20 June 2005.[22] He remained in the same position in Yawovi Agboyibo’s government.[23] He signed the resulting political agreement from the 2006 inter-Togolese dialogue on behalf of the CPP.[24]

During the 2007 Togolese parliamentary election, he led the CPP list in Zio Prefecture but the party failed to win any seats.[25] He was dismissed from the government in December 2007.

On 27 May 2009, he was appointed president of the Permanent Framework for Dialogue and Consultation (CPDC).[26]

Since 3 May 2025, he has served as the first President of the Republic under the newly established Fifth Republic.

Honours

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References

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  1. ^ "Togo : Jean-Lucien Savi de Tové, l'opposant historique, élu président dans un geste d'ouverture inédit". lejournalinfo.com. 5 March 2025. Retrieved 5 March 2025.
  2. ^ "Circonscription électorale de Zio" (PDF). cenitogo.tg.
  3. ^ "Profil des membres du gouvernement togolais". etiame.com.
  4. ^ "Que le "meilleur" gagne". Africa Intelligence. Archived from the original on 9 March 2006. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
  5. ^ "Bourses". Journal officiel de la République togolaise (134): 692. 16 October 1960.
  6. ^ "Journal officiel de la République togolaise". 1 March 1967: 93. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  7. ^ "Journal officiel de la République togolaise". 1 February 1975: 62. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  8. ^ "Journal officiel de la République togolaise". 16 May 1975: 227. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  9. ^ "Journal officiel de la République togolaise". 16 October 1979: 525. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  10. ^ The Amnesty International Report. Amnesty International Publications. 1984. p. 106. ISBN 978-0-86210-071-1.
  11. ^ Afrique et développement. 2000. p. 145.
  12. ^ L'Afrique politique 1997: Revendications populaires et recompositions politiques. Karthala. 1997. p. 267.
  13. ^ "Togo: l'opposition propose M. Savi de Tové comme premier ministre". Le Monde. 24 March 1993.
  14. ^ "Africa New Highlights". Reuters. Retrieved 6 May 2025.
  15. ^ Africa Report. Vol. 38. 1993. p. 9.
  16. ^ West Africa, Issues 4180-4193. p. 499.
  17. ^ Africa Contemporary Record. Vol. 24. 2000. p. 188.
  18. ^ Godwin Tété (14 February 2015). "L'élection présidentielle de 2015 au Togo - Clarifions et simplifions la problématique". cvu-togo-diaspora.org.
  19. ^ Bogdan Szajkowski, ed. (2005). Political Parties of the World (6th ed.). p. 591.
  20. ^ "Togo/dialogue: les divergences refont surface avec la reprise des travaux". 2 June 2006.
  21. ^ "Mme Gaba en détention arbitraire et illégale de 48 heures au camp du régiment para-commando de Kara, sur ordre du Lieutenant-colonel Ernest Gnassingbé".
  22. ^ "Togo: Liste des membres du nouveau gouvernement". 21 June 2005.
  23. ^ "Répartition des portefeuilles du nouveau gouvernement togolais". 21 September 2006.
  24. ^ "Texte de l'accord politique global" (PDF). Retrieved 6 May 2025.
  25. ^ "Text of Constitutional Court decision (final election results)" (PDF). 30 October 2007.
  26. ^ "Jean-Lucien Sanvi De Tové confiant et serein". 29 May 2009.
  27. ^ "Journal officiel de la République togolaise" (PDF). 26 December 2006: 4. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
Political offices
Preceded by President of Togo
2025–present 		Incumbent
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