Africa’s Power Game: Why Leadership Change Rarely Means Progress

Africa’s greatest challenge today isn’t external—it’s internal. It’s not the IMF, the West, or even the legacy of colonialism.

Africa’s real problem is Africans themselves: citizens who still struggle to define what exactly they should be fighting for, and how to channel their energy and anger into real, lasting change.

Take what happened just yesterday. Two significant political events unfolded that tell you everything about the continent's current state.

In Gabon, Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema was sworn in as the country’s new democratically elected president. His victory was hailed as a fresh start after years of rule under the Bongo family. He swapped his military uniform for a suit, ran for office, and won by a landslide. On the surface, this looks like progress.

But look deeper: a change in person doesn’t always mean a change in practice. Gabon’s deep-seated governance problems won’t vanish overnight simply because a new face has taken the oath.

Meanwhile, in Togo, Faure Gnassingbé pulled off a quieter but even more troubling move. He successfully changed the country's constitution last year, shifting Togo from a presidential to a parliamentary system—a clever tactic designed to let him hold onto power indefinitely.

Faure, who has been in power since 2005 after succeeding his father, was supposed to leave office by 2025. Instead, as of yesterday, he became the first President of the Council of Ministers, selected not by voters but by his party’s majority in parliament.

Presidents Faure and Brice

And what did ECOWAS and the United Nations do? They watched. Silently.

The Unchanging Game: Power Over Progress

Let’s be honest: do I expect anything different in Gabon or Togo after these changes?
No. And here’s why:
Across much of Africa, leaders are more committed to preserving power than to delivering development.
This obsession with political survival comes at the direct expense of progress. Infrastructure, education, healthcare — they all take a backseat while the ruling elite focus on staying in control.

Even worse, this all plays out under the passive watch of millions of Africans who, for various reasons, remain unable—or unwilling—to hold their leaders accountable.

Why This Matters

Until African citizens reclaim their role as the true custodians of democracy, until they redefine their fight and insist on accountability, real change will remain elusive.
Changing leaders without changing systems and mindsets only recycles the same problems in new packaging.

A Call to Reflect

So as we witness these latest political shifts, let’s not be fooled by surface-level changes. Leadership transitions in Africa too often follow the same old script: power games over progress, survival over service.

If Africa is to rise, the real battle is not just against corrupt leaders — it’s against a broken political culture where accountability is absent, and power is worshipped more than progress.

Think about that.

And maybe, just maybe, it’s time to define the real fight.

What’s your take?

Do you believe Africa’s political system can evolve? Or are we trapped in an endless loop of power struggles?
Drop your thoughts in the comments — let’s have an honest conversation.