The re-elected Gunner Labor Government’s hold on power is expected to firm up today, as an adjusted two-candidate preferred count gets underway in five electorates, as well as a “recheck” of votes in a dozen others.

While Labor is still expected to claim the 13 seats needed for a majority government, a number of key seats are still up in the air and some of Michael Gunner’s hand-picked cabinet ministers could be looking for new jobs by the end of the day.

Territory Families Minister Dale Wakefield’s seat of Braitling appears highly likely to fall into the CLP’s hands with Josh Burgoyne taking a strong lead on Sunday, while Education and Aboriginal Affairs Minister Selena Uibo could lose Arnhem to independent candidate Ian Gumbula.

Saturday’s Territory election was a confusing and tightly contested affair that delivered a few surprises, including what looks like a Labor majority that would have been unthinkable a year ago when Mr Gunner was polling as unpopular as former CLP chief minister Adam Giles.

The NT Electoral Commission said on Sunday that it would be correcting two-party preferred counts in five electorates including Arnhem, Blain, Fong Lim, Johnston and Katherine to a two-way battle between the CLP and ALP.

A spokesman for the electoral commission said the two-candidate preferred numbers on Saturday night were indicative only and needed to be updated to reflect voters’ preferences.

Territory Alliance trounced as CLP makes gains

But there are already a few certainties, including that Territory Alliance has been smashed out of relevance, with two of its three members sent packing, including leader Terry Mills.

However, deputy leader Robyn Lambley is still expected to hold on to her seat of Araluen, while hanging on by just a handful of votes on Sunday.

The CLP meanwhile, are still likely to pick up somewhere around five or six seats, including safe bets Spillett and Nelson, as well as the seats of Brennan, Blain and Katherine, which surprisingly swung to Labor on the primary vote, but will most likely see the CLP’s Jo Hersey take the seat on preferences.

Barkly is still too close to call, as well as Fong Lim, Daly and Namtijira.

Incumbent independents Kezia Purick and Yingyia Mark Guyula are expected to hold their seats of Goyder and Mulka and could be joined in the crossbench by Mr Gumbula from the Arnhem electorate.

Mr Gunner’s core cabinet team of Nicole Manison, Natasha Fyles and Lauren Moss easily held their seats on Saturday as the party solidified itself as the northern suburbs’ party of choice, while making a surprise showing in Eva Lawler’s Palmerston seat of Drysdale.

Junior minister Paul Kirby will also hold on to his seat of Port Darwin through no fault of his own, but rather due to TA candidate Gary Strachan opting to preference him above the CLP’s Toby George.

The NT Electoral Commission said on Sunday that the “rechecks” of votes would occur in Arnhem, Blain, Brennan, Daly, Fong Lim, Katherine, Johnston and Casuarina; as well as in Araluen, Barkly, Braitling and Namatjira.