"We want CHANGE!" After two successful military coup d’états in 1963 & 1967, Gnassingbe Eyadema was made ruler of Togo in 1967. In his attempt to strengthen the tenets of nationalism in Togo he invited most past political exiles to come back, and in 1969 he set up a new unity party (the Togolese People’s Rally). As years went by, Gnassingbe turned Togo into a de facto one party state, and he was elected President in one-party elections in 1979 and 1985. Due to political pressures he was forced to accept a multi party system for Togo. Gnassingbe however went ahead and won all subsequent elections until his death in 2005. These elections were all described as fraudulent, and not free and fair. His son Faure Gnassingbe took over from his dad in 2005 after holding ministerial positions, and has ruled Togo till now. Recently, 10s of thousands of Togolese have been protesting on the streets against Faure Gnassingbe. They want him to step down. Eric Mayikou is a Togolese National who's been living and working in Ghana as a Tiler for about 10 years. Eric says he's excited about what's happening in Togo right now because "Togo is not for the Gnassingbe family. Eric believes it is time for a new leadership in Togo. "My brother, we want change. Now there's no job in Togo. Many young people in Togo are useless. There's no development there. We just want him to go," he said. . 📷: Nana Osei - 2017 . . #lomé #togo #Accra #Ghana #Africa #politics #history #protest #gnassingbeeyadema #fauregnassingbe #president #coupdetat #politicalparty #tiler #work #streets #streetstyle #streetphotography #change #everydayafrica #accrawedey (at Accra, Ghana)
