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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC or CENI) of the Republic of Togo has so far released the results of the Presidential elections from 11 collation centres, which put the incumbent President Gnassingbe Faure Essonzimna of the Union Pour La Republique (UNIR) in the lead with 328,531 votes.

He is followed by his main opposition candidate, Mr Jean Pierre Fabre of the Opposition Alliance for Change (CAP 2015), who has 85,186 votes in his favour.

The results which were released in two batches, were announced by the INEC Chairman, Mr Issifou Tabiou.

The first batch involved Ave in the central, Assoli, Binah and Bassar in the north, while Anie is in Plateux and Baguida in Lome. The first batch was released around 5a.m. last Monday.

Media personnel had to stay throughout the night at the INEC offices to listen to the results. 

A total of 346,597 people registered in the six centres whose results were first released, out of which 214,876 voted. The centres have a total of 934 polling stations. In all, 6,370 spoilt ballots were recorded.

Mr Fabre had 68, 957 votes, while the candidate of the Citizens Movement for Democracy and Development (MCD), Mr Tchassona Traore, had 1,761 votes, with the candidate of the Nouvel Engagement Togolais ( NET), Mr Gerry Komandega, polling 1,657 votes. 

Mr Aime Gogue Tchaboure of the Alliance of Democrats for Integral Development (ADDI) had 1,569 votes, while the candidate of the UNIR, Mr Gnassingbe, polled 133, 375 votes.

In the second batch of results which was released early Tuesday morning, the results covered five local centres, namely Blitta, Oti, Tandjouare, Cinkasse and Kpendjal.

Out of the total of 364, 482 registered voters in these five centres, 260, 478 voted. The voting, he said, came out as 252, 322 valid votes, while 7,979 ballots were cancelled.

Mr Fabre polled 16,229 votes, with  MCD’s Mr Traore getting 1,823 votes, while the NET Party’s Mr Komandega polled 1,861 votes.

The ADDI candidate, Mr Tchaboure, had 36,848 votes in his favour, while the incumbent, Mr Gnassingbe,  had 195,156.

The number of local (collation) centres in the country is 42. With the release by INEC of those 11 centres, it means the results of 31 local centres are yet to be released. INEC has three days to do that, in line with laid-down regulations.

The people of Togo wait anxiously for the results as trading activities and human and vehicular movement begin to pick up.

Meanwhile, last Monday marked the 55th independence anniversary of the Republic of Togo and people were still seen gathered at the collation centres.

Some shops opened, while eating centres were also operating at the time the Daily Graphic team visited the city to find out the level of activity going on there. During a drive through the various polling centres and the communities, some people said they were carrying out their daily activities but with a lot of care.