KOTA KINABALU, Sept 26 — Exit polls at some voting districts in Sabah’s interior which closed early have indicated that Warisan Plus has the upper hand following split votes for the Opposition that clashed in the Sook seat.

The clash between Barisan Nasional’s Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) and Perikatan Nasional’s Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku has put PKR’s Raymond Ahuar in a sweet spot in some voting centres.

According to a result sheet of SK Bonor spotted by Malay Mail, Ahuar gained 88 votes to STAR’s Ellron Angin’s 42 and PBRS’ Bonepes Been picked up 14 votes. Independent parties Liberal Democratic Party and Parti Cinta Sabah (PCS) each picked up three and one vote respectively.

In another polling station, Ahuar also picked up 178 votes to Ellron’s 132 and Bonepes’s 41. LDP and PCS picked up five and two votes each.

This means that Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) would have been in the lead to win if not for the split between its allies.

The loose Opposition alliance of GRS, consisting of PN, BN and Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), clashes in some 17 seats, and is a situation that typically puts the government of the day at an advantage.

Upko newcomer Albert Aguir may also take the Nabawan seat in another split vote, beating out popular Opposition candidate Datuk Abdul Ghani Mohd Yassin as preliminary results in the SK Labang voting centre come in.

Aguir, part of the Warisan Plus government, polled 93 votes, just five votes ahead of Abdul Ghani’s 88.

Independent candidate Maikol Ampuas polled 13 while PCS’ Ampalus Robert Sanaron polled 10.

It is, however, still too early to declare the winner.