Opposition candidates allege fraud in Togo election

At least three Togolese opposition candidates in the presidential election have said the vote was marred by fraud.

Provisional results from the presidential election in Togo indicate that the incumbent, Faure Gnassingbé, will secure a fourth term in power.

The electoral commission cited provisional results as showing that Mr Gnassingbé had received 72% of the vote, compared with about 18% for the best-placed opposition candidate, Agbéyomé Kodjo.

Mr Kodjo had earlier said the vote was marred by fraud, and that he considered himself the winner.

Another candidate, Jean-Pierre Fabre conceded defeat through his campaign manager 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.