Togo: provisional election results overshadowed by fraud

Three candidates in Togo’s ongoing presidential election have said the results were tainted by fraud, after provisional counts indicated that the incumbent, Faure Gnassingé, will remain in power. 

If elected the result would mark President Gnassingé’s fourth term in office. 

Togo’s electoral commission have estimated that Mr Gnassingbé received 72% of the vote, with his closest rival, Agbéyomé Kodjo, trailing far behind at just 18%. 

Mr Kodjo said that the vote was marred by fraud and the he in fact considered himself the winner.

Fellow candidate Jean-Pierre Fabre conceded defeat via his campaign manger Patrick Lawson-Banku. 

“The first trends of the voting results put the candidates of the MPDD [which Mr Kodjo leads] and UNIR [the ruling party] in the lead," said Mr Lawson-Banku. 

Photo: Reuters