Faure Gnassingbé Wins Togo Third Term; Opposition Rejects Presidential Election Victory

Togo's President Faure Gnassingbé has claimed election victory with 58.75 percent of the vote ©Issouf Sanogo (AFP)

Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé was declared winner of the Togo Presidential polls which held this past weekend, claiming victory with 58.75 percent of the vote.

With this Gnassingbé secures his third five-year term in office.

However, Togo's main opposition party on Wednesday rejected official presidential election results declaring victory for incumbent Faure Gnassingbé with 58.75 percent of the vote, and instead claimed a win for its candidate Jean-Pierre Fabre.

GRAPHITTI NEWS based on AFP/Agency filings reports:

"CAP 2015 (Combat for Political Change) and its candidate Jean-Pierre Fabre categorically reject the fraudulent results which bear no resemblance to those compiled from reports collected in polling stations by its representatives," said coalition campaign director Patrick Lawson-Banku.

The party "is pleased about the victory of Jean-Pierre Fabre", he told a news conference.

Fabre said he considered himself to be the West African nation's new president-elect.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) announced on Tuesday evening that Gnassingbe had won with 58.75 percent with his main opponent Fabre picking up 34.95 percent of votes.

The results were provisional and subject to confirmation by the Constitutional Court, it added.

Lawson-Banku called on people to turn out in force "using all legal means to ensure that this latest takeover fails".

The campaign director was asked whether he was calling for civilians in the tiny West African country to take to the street.

"The right to protest is prescribed by law. There is no need for permission to demonstrate," he said.

Fabre had hoped to oust Gnassingbé, who has been in power since 2005 and was seeking a third term of office, as well as bring to an end to nearly 50 years of rule by the president's family.

Gnassingbé's father, Gnassingbé Eyadema ruled Togo with an iron fist for 38 years after seizing power in a coup.