Léopold Messan Kokou Gnininvi (born December 19, 1942[1][2]) is a Togolese politician and the Secretary-General of the Democratic Convention of African Peoples (CDPA).
[1][2] He is a Doctor of Physics and Mathematics,[1] having received his doctorat d'Etat from the University of Dijon in France in 1977.
[4] At the 1991 Sovereign National Conference, Gnininvi was the opposition's initial choice for the position of Prime Minister,[5] but he withdrew in favor of Joseph Kokou Koffigoh,[3][4][5] the leader of the Togolese League of Human Rights, who was better known than Gnininvi,[5] for the sake of opposition unity.
[9] In November 1998, after President Gnassingbé Eyadéma called for the opposition to engage in talks, Gnininvi said that the CDPA would not participate because the talks were only intended to legitimize the rule of Eyadéma's Rally of the Togolese People (RPT) party.
[11][12] He said he made this decision because he had already mobilized his supporters for the election and because he wanted the opposition to unite behind the strongest candidate from its ranks.