Abass Bonfoh

Abass (El Hadj) Bonfoh (born November 23, 1948 in Kabou , Bassar Prefecture ) is a Togolese politician who was provisional president of the country from February 25 to May 4, 2005 .

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His birthplace, Kabou, is 380 kilometers north of the capital Lomé .

After the resignation of Faure Gnassingbé on February 25, 2005, he was elected by the National Assembly of the state for 60 days as transitional president until the next election on April 24, 2005. He is a member of the ruling party and Deputy Speaker of Parliament. The choice of Bonfoh was controversial, since according to the Togolese constitution the President of the National Assembly, Fambaré Ouattara Natchaba , would have been Gnassingbé's legal successor. Bonfoh announced that he would continue Gnassingbé's work: he wanted to promote both democratization and the development of the country. Since Gnassingbé resigned mainly because he was under public criticism for his lack of democratization, Bonfoh's remarks were received with skepticism. His inauguration was greeted with demonstrations and burning barricades in Lomé . After the new president was elected on April 24, both Gnassingbé and the opposition's top candidate, Emmanuel Bob-Akitani , declared themselves the winner and Bonfoh initially remained in office, which he did not take up until May 4 after unsuccessful protests by the opposition considered the election rigged, gave up in favor of the government candidate.