Togo Gets First Woman Presidential candidate

Togo’s moderate opposition Democratic Convention of African People (CDPA) made history when it endorsed for the first time, a woman candidate for the country’s upcoming presdential elections.

There was thunderous applause as 52 year-old Madam Kafui Brigitte Adjamagbo Johnson was unanimously elected the presidential candidate of the CDPA led by Professor Leopold Messan Gnininvi, in Lomé at the party’s national convention.

The party leader described the election of Madam Johnson as a historic event in the annals of Togo’s political history.

Madam Jamilah Assana Sidi, Secretary General in charge of Political Strategy and Electoral Affairs expressed her profound gratitude to all the supporters and appealed to them to rally behind the flagbearer to ensure the election of the first woman president for Togo.

Addressing the party supporters, Madam Johnson declared “ this day is memorable in the history of my country , as my party decides for the first time to endorse a woman as candidate for the next presidential elections, come February 2010”.

She also declared that although she was proud, “I want to stress that above all it is the Togolese and African women who have been honoured today by this historic decision.

“We have once again demonstrated the way to follow and foster women leadership not only in our country but throughout the African continent”, Madam Johnson said.

She said that “the year 2010 will be the beginning of a new prosperous era where all the Togolese people will have to put the national interest above partisan interest”.

She promised to undertake far-reaching political and institutional reforms to achieve effective decentralisation in order to consolidate democracy in Togo.

She also promised the return of the Togolese Diaspora into the mainstream of Togolese politics as part of her political programme as well as crafting a new constitution to reflect today’s political realities of Togo through a national referendum.

“If we share the same dream, we can collectively translate it into a national reality”, Madam Johnson said, adding “ together we can win.. Yes we Can”, amidst applause from the delegates.

Madam Johnson has a Doctorate in Law and is a Lecturer at the University of Lomé. She is a founding member of the CDPA and has been since 1990 when serious democratic agitations began in Togo.

She occupied a prominent position as the Secretary-General of Togo’s historic National Sovereign Conference which defined a new path for Togo’s future multi-party democracy in 1991.

Madam Johnson also founded an NGO, GF2D for the protection of African women’s rights.