A growing number of African leaders are tightening their grip on power not through tanks and guns, but through “constitutional coups”, reshaping governance frameworks to extend their rule while silencing dissent.
In an exclusive interview with Vaultz News, Dr. Joshua Sarfo examined this trend and its implications, pointing to systemic institutional weaknesses, regional complicity, and a disconnect between leadership and public sentiment.
From Togo to Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire to Uganda, at least 12 African presidents have manipulated constitutions to bypass term limits, rebrand executive titles, or suppress electoral accountability. These changes are often framed as legal reforms, but civil society, opposition groups, and analysts have increasingly referred to them as “constitutional coups.”
According to Sarfo, “Many African democracies suffer from weak institutional frameworks that lack independence, transparency, and strong enforcement mechanisms.” He explained that politicized judiciaries, compromised electoral commissions, and dominant ruling parties in legislatures allow for legalistic power grabs. The result is unchecked executive authority.
“These deficiencies enable leaders to unilaterally manipulate constitutions—by removing term limits or changing governance structures—to consolidate power,” he said. Addressing this challenge, he emphasized, requires “granting the judiciary full independence and creating truly impartial electoral bodies.”
Across West and Central Africa, term-limit removals have become the method of choice for leaders such as President Faure Gnassingbé of Togo and President Paul Biya of Cameroon. In many of these nations, dissent is criminalized, opposition leaders face imprisonment, and media freedoms remain constrained.
Citizens Back Term Limits Amid Elite Pushback
Yet even as elites consolidate power, public sentiment remains overwhelmingly opposed to term-limit extensions. Citing Afrobarometer data, which shows between 76–87% of citizens in affected countries support term limits, Sarfo said that citizen awareness has never been the issue; rather, it’s the lack of institutional response and protections for activists.
Sarfo noted that civic resistance is often met with brutal repression, but added that “civil society and citizens can harness public support by engaging in creative, decentralized activism that evades state repression.” From social media mobilization to parallel information networks, these efforts reflect a growing sophistication among citizen-led movements across the continent.
“Building broad coalitions across ethnic and social divides strengthens legitimacy and protects activists from isolation,” he said, suggesting international solidarity—especially from diaspora communities—could help amplify these movements.
However, regional organizations like ECOWAS and the African Union (AU) have largely failed to confront constitutional manipulations with the same urgency they apply to military coups. Dr. Sarfo attributes this to the “legal ambiguity” of such maneuvers, noting that while soldiers in fatigues are an obvious threat to democracy, legal reforms carried out by sitting presidents appear less scandalous on paper.
“Constitutional manipulations, framed as legal or electoral reforms, create ambiguity. This complicates rapid, unified responses, leading to perceived inconsistency.”
Dr. Joshua Sarfo
To regain credibility, he argued, the AU and ECOWAS must “adopt clear, enforceable policies that explicitly reject and sanction unconstitutional changes to term limits or governance structures, regardless of how they occur.”
Beyond domestic and regional dynamics, foreign powers are also implicated. Dr. Sarfo criticized the role of international actors who, in their pursuit of stability and economic interests, often enable authoritarian entrenchment.
“Foreign powers sometimes perpetuate authoritarian resilience by prioritizing stability, security, and access to resources over democracy promotion, effectively enabling leaders to entrench their rule unchallenged. Strategic partnerships, military aid, and economic interests may tacitly endorse constitutional manipulations if these regimes serve geopolitical goals.”
Dr. Joshua Sarfo
However, he said, the international community can be constructive, urging donor countries and development institutions to “condition aid and cooperation on democratic reforms” and “amplify local voices” rather than impose top-down mandates.
The implications of prolonged rule stretch far beyond constitutional clauses. Dr. Sarfo warned that democratic erosion leads to weakened institutions, patronage politics, and economic stagnation. “Extended rule through manipulated constitutional means erodes democratic culture by normalizing power monopolies, undermining political competition, and discouraging citizen participation,” he said.
Moreover, he added, the long-term consequences include increased instability, weakened investor confidence, and a potential rise in cross-border conflict and refugee displacement. “Unchecked leadership prolongation jeopardizes not only national prospects but also continental peace and integration ambitions,” he concluded.
As the democratic backslide continues in parts of Africa, the disconnect between citizen will and elite interests grows sharper. Whether constitutional manipulation will continue to replace military coups as the dominant form of power extension remains to be seen, but it is clear that both forms are equally damaging to Africa’s fragile democratic fabric.
READ ALSO: Public Support Grows for DSTV Subscription Price Cut
