Togo was formerly under German colonial rule before becoming a French-administered territory after World War I. Togo gained independence from France on April 27, 1960, with Sylvanus Olympio as its first president. In 1963, Olympio was overthrown and assassinated in a coup, marking the beginning of decades of political instability and military dominance.

Togo operates under a presidential republic system, with significant executive power vested in the president. The country is administratively divided into five regions, each further subdivided into prefectures. It has a unicameral legislature, the National Assembly, alongside an independent judiciary, though in practice, executive influence over state institutions is significant. Togo has a multiparty system, though political life has been dominated for decades by the Union for the Republic (UNIR) and its predecessor, the Rally of the Togolese People (RPT). The president is directly elected for a five-year term, with a two-term limit reinstated in 2019 constitutional reforms, though these limits are not retroactive.

A major political turning point occurred in 2005 following the death of long-serving president Gnassingbé Eyadéma, who had ruled since 1967. His son, Faure Gnassingbé, assumed the presidency amid political unrest and contested elections. Electoral reforms in the 2010s aimed to improve transparency, but opposition groups continue to call for stronger democratic safeguards.
Key political transitions since independence include: Nicolas Grunitzky replacing Olympio after the 1963 coup; Gnassingbé Eyadéma seizing power in 1967 and ruling for 38 years; Faure Gnassingbé becoming president in 2005 and winning subsequent elections in 2010, 2015, and 2020.