The Most Famous
POLITICIANS from Togo
This page contains a list of the greatest Togolese Politicians. The pantheon dataset contains 15,577 Politicians, 8 of which were born in Togo. This makes Togo the birth place of the 155th most number of Politicians behind Cape Verde and Belize.
Top 8
The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Togolese Politicians of all time. This list of famous Togolese Politicians is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity.
1. Gnassingbé Eyadéma (1935 - 2005)
With an HPI of 59.48, Gnassingbé Eyadéma is the most famous Togolese Politician. His biography has been translated into 46 different languages on wikipedia.
Gnassingbé Eyadéma (French pronunciation: [ɲasɛ̃ɡbe ɛjadema]; born Étienne Eyadéma Gnassingbé, 26 December 1935 – 5 February 2005) was a Togolese military officer and politician who was the president of Togo from 1967 until his death in 2005, after which he was immediately succeeded by his son, Faure Gnassingbé. Eyadéma participated in two successful military coups, in January 1963 and January 1967, and became president on 14 April 1967. As president, he created a political party, the Rally of the Togolese People (RPT), and headed an anti-communist single-party regime until the early 1990s, when reforms leading to multiparty elections began. Although his rule was seriously challenged by the events of the early 1990s, he ultimately consolidated power again and won multiparty presidential elections in 1993, 1998 and 2003; the opposition boycotted the 1993 election and denounced the 1998 and 2003 election results as fraudulent. At the time of his death, Eyadéma was the longest-serving ruler in Africa. According to a 2018 study, "Gnassingbé Eyadema's rule rested on repression, patronage, and a bizarre leadership cult."
2. Nicéphore Soglo (1934 - )
With an HPI of 52.27, Nicéphore Soglo is the 2nd most famous Togolese Politician. His biography has been translated into 32 different languages.
Nicéphore Dieudonné Soglo (born November 29, 1934) is a Beninese politician who was Prime Minister of Benin from 1990 to 1991 and President from 1991 to 1996. He was Mayor of Cotonou from 2003 to 2015. Soglo was married to Rosine Vieyra Soglo, the Beninois former First Lady and politician.
3. Nicolas Grunitzky (1913 - 1969)
With an HPI of 51.80, Nicolas Grunitzky is the 3rd most famous Togolese Politician. His biography has been translated into 24 different languages.
Nicolas Grunitzky (French pronunciation: [nikɔla gʁynitski]; 5 April 1913 – 27 September 1969) was the second president of Togo and its third head of state. He was President from 1963 to 1967. Grunitzky was Prime Minister of Togo from 1956 to 1958 under the French Colonial loi cadre system, which created a limited "national" government in their colonial possessions. He was elected Prime Minister of Togo —still under French administration— in 1956. Following the 1963 coup which killed his nationalist political rival and brother-in-law Sylvanus Olympio, Grunitzky was chosen by the military committee of coup leaders to be Togo's second President.
4. Edem Kodjo (1938 - 2020)
With an HPI of 45.22, Edem Kodjo is the 4th most famous Togolese Politician. His biography has been translated into 17 different languages.
Édouard Kodjovi "Edem" Kodjo (May 23, 1938 – April 11, 2020), was a Togolese politician and diplomat. He was Secretary-General of the Organisation of African Unity from 1978 to 1983; later, in Togo, he was a prominent opposition leader after the introduction of multi-party politics. He served as Prime Minister from 1994 to 1996 and again from 2005 to 2006. Kodjo was President of the Patriotic Pan-African Convergence (CPP). Kodjo died on April 11, 2020, in Paris.
5. Bonfoh Abass (1948 - 2021)
With an HPI of 42.78, Bonfoh Abass is the 5th most famous Togolese Politician. His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.
El-Hadj Bonfoh Abass ( ; 23 November 1948 – 29/30 June 2021) was a Togolese politician who was the interim President of Togo from 25 February 2005 to 4 May 2005. He was the President of the National Assembly of Togo from February 2005 to July 2013.
6. Victoire Tomegah Dogbé (1959 - )
With an HPI of 42.15, Victoire Tomegah Dogbé is the 6th most famous Togolese Politician. Her biography has been translated into 17 different languages.
Victoire Sidémého Dzidudu Dogbé Tomegah (born 23 December 1959) is a Togolese politician who has served as the prime minister of Togo since 28 September 2020. She is the first woman to hold the office. Before becoming head of government, Tomegah Dogbé was previously the Minister of Grassroots Development, Handicrafts, Youth and Youth Employment in the Komi Sélom Klassou Government and the Cabinet Director of President Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé.
7. Komi Sélom Klassou (1960 - )
With an HPI of 40.68, Komi Sélom Klassou is the 7th most famous Togolese Politician. His biography has been translated into 18 different languages.
Komi Sélom Klassou (born 10 February 1960) is a Togolese politician who served as Prime Minister of Togo from 2015 to 2020. A member of the ruling Union for the Republic (UNIR), he served as Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports from 2000 to 2003, as Minister of Primary and Secondary Education from 2003 to 2007, and as First Vice-President of the National Assembly from 2007 to 2015.
8. Gilbert Houngbo (1961 - )
With an HPI of 35.24, Gilbert Houngbo is the 8th most famous Togolese Politician. His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.
Gilbert Fossoun Houngbo (born 4 February 1961) is a Togolese politician and diplomat who was Prime Minister of Togo from September 2008 to July 2012. He has also held various positions within the United Nations System, including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the International Labour Office and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). In 2022 he was elected as the 11th Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO).
Pantheon has 8 people classified as politicians born between 1913 and 1961. Of these 8, 4 (50.00%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living politicians include Nicéphore Soglo, Victoire Tomegah Dogbé, and Komi Sélom Klassou. The most famous deceased politicians include Gnassingbé Eyadéma, Nicolas Grunitzky, and Edem Kodjo. As of April 2022, 2 new politicians have been added to Pantheon including Bonfoh Abass and Victoire Tomegah Dogbé.
Living Politicians
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Nicéphore Soglo
1934 - Present
HPI: 52.27
Victoire Tomegah Dogbé
1959 - Present
HPI: 42.15
Komi Sélom Klassou
1960 - Present
HPI: 40.68
Gilbert Houngbo
1961 - Present
HPI: 35.24
Deceased Politicians
Go to all RankingsGnassingbé Eyadéma
1935 - 2005
HPI: 59.48
Nicolas Grunitzky
1913 - 1969
HPI: 51.80
Edem Kodjo
1938 - 2020
HPI: 45.22
Bonfoh Abass
1948 - 2021
HPI: 42.78
Newly Added Politicians (2022)
Go to all RankingsWhich Politicians were alive at the same time? This visualization shows the lifespans of the 3 most globally memorable Politicians since 1700.
