Tap a country, on the map or in the legend, to see its rule.
Who replaces the President?
- Elected vice-president
- Appointed vice-president
- President of the National Assembly
- President of the Senate
A “vacancy” is when the President can no longer exercise their functions at all: death, resignation or permanent incapacity. Each Constitution then designates a replacement. There are three answers.
Answer no. 1: the elected vice-president
They were elected at the same time as the President and replace them until the end of the term. No new election: the people had already chosen them together with the President.
| Country | Replacement |
|---|---|
| Nigeria | Elected vice-president |
| Ghana | Elected vice-president |
| Kenya | Elected vice-president |
Answer no. 2: the appointed vice-president
They were chosen by the President and replace them until the end of the term, without a new election. In Côte d'Ivoire, they are appointed with the agreement of Parliament; in Cameroon, by the President alone, the post having been created in 2026.
| Country | Replacement |
|---|---|
| Côte d'Ivoire | Vice-president appointed with the agreement of Parliament |
| Cameroon | Vice-president appointed by the President |
Answer no. 3: an interim, then an election
The president of one of the two chambers of Parliament serves as interim for a few months, then the people vote again.
| Country | Interim held by |
|---|---|
| Senegal | President of the National Assembly |
| Guinea | President of the National Assembly |
| DRC | President of the Senate |
| Gabon | President of the Senate |
| Chad | President of the Senate |
In summary
| Country | Who replaces? | Do the people vote again? |
|---|---|---|
| Nigeria | Elected vice-president | No |
| Ghana | Elected vice-president | No |
| Kenya | Elected vice-president | No |
| Côte d'Ivoire | Appointed vice-president | No |
| Cameroon | Appointed vice-president | No |
| Senegal | President of the National Assembly | Yes |
| Guinea | President of the National Assembly | Yes |
| DRC | President of the Senate | Yes |
| Gabon | President of the Senate | Yes |
| Chad | President of the Senate | Yes |
Before, the President of the Senate served as interim, then the people voted again. Since April 2026, a vice-president appointed by the President completes the term, with no election.
In total, in five countries the people vote again after a short interim; in the other five, the vice-president, elected or appointed, completes the term.
In your view, who should replace the President: an elected vice-president, an appointed vice-president, or the president of one of the two chambers of Parliament, followed by a new election?
Sources
Last checked: 6 October 2026. Article numbers refer to the texts in force on that date. Links open external sites; their content is not endorsed by this site.
In case of a vacancy of the presidency
- Nigeria: 1999 Constitution, s. 146(1). → Section 146 ↗
- Ghana: 1992 Constitution, art. 60(6). → Text of the Constitution ↗
- Kenya: 2010 Constitution, art. 146(2)(a). → Article 146 (KLRC) ↗
- Côte d’Ivoire: 2016 Constitution, art. 55 and 62, as amended by Constitutional Law No. 2020-348 of 19 March 2020: the vice-president, chosen by the President with Parliament’s agreement, completes the term. → Text as updated in 2020 ↗ · Art. 62 explained (Africanews) ↗
- Cameroon: Constitutional revision adopted by Parliament sitting in Congress on 4 April 2026 (vice-president appointed by the President). → The revision (allAfrica) ↗ · Content of the draft (allAfrica) ↗
- Senegal: Constitution, art. 39 (the President of the National Assembly stands in; election within sixty days). → Constitutional Council decision (PDF) ↗
- Guinea: 2025 Constitution, art. 72 (interim by the President of the National Assembly, failing which the President of the Senate; election within 60 to 120 days). → Africaguinee ↗
- DR Congo: 2006 Constitution, art. 75 and 76 (interim by the President of the Senate; election within 60 to 90 days). → Text (Constitute Project) ↗
- Gabon: 2024 Constitution: in case of a definitive vacancy, interim by the President of the Senate, then an election (art. 54 of the draft put to referendum). → Analysis of the adopted text ↗ · Draft (art. 54) ↗
- Chad: 2023 Constitution as amended in 2025, art. 82 and 93 (interim by the President of the Senate). → Text of the Constitution (MJP) ↗
Clarifications
- Cameroon: The revision provides that if the vice-president is unable to serve, or if the post is unfilled, a presidential election is held. According to several press reports, the post had not yet been filled after the revision. → allAfrica ↗
- Gabon: In case of a temporary impediment of the President, the Vice-President of the Republic, appointed by the President, provisionally exercises the functions (art. 46). The interim by the President of the Senate applies to a definitive vacancy. → Analysis of the adopted text ↗
- Guinea and Gabon: Article numbers found in published texts and analyses; to be checked against the Official Gazette.
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