Main Togo opposition party holds rally ahead of elections

Hundreds of supporters of the ANC, National alliance for change party in Togo, attended a rally in Agoè-Nyivé.

Sunday's (Feb. 12) meeting which took place in neighbourhood located in the northern suburbs of Lomé was attended by the ANC president who also serves as mayor of one of Lomé's 13 localities.

He focused on the upcoming legislative elections.

"This was a remobilisation rally," Jean-Pierer Fabre said.

"You may have noticed that we have called for people to go and register to vote when the census is launched. This is important because we called before not to register and many of our voters are not registered. So they have to go and register."

Indeed, main opposition parties boycotted the previous legislative polls in 2018, citing "irregularities" in their preparation. Consequently some of their supporters did not vote.

Togolese president Faure Gnassimbé annouced late last year, that elections would be held this year but no date has been set. This has not deterred the hundreds of ANC supporters dreaming of change.

"We want change in this country and the ANC is a political party that fights. The Togolese people are suffering and we must fight to get the country out of this situation," this man said.

"I am very happy, because the powers that be have repeatedly prevented us from coming together. We must wake up, because this country is badly governed."

ANC leader Jean-Pierre Fabre denouced the rule of the Gnassingbé family over Togo since 1963 as well as irregularities in the management of funds intended to fight the Covid pandemic in the nation.