APC wins Ondo South Senate by-election

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Prof. Dayo Faduyile of the All Progressives Congress (APC) the winner of the Ondo South Senatorial District by-election held on Saturday.

INEC Returning Officer, Prof. Gbenga Solomon-Ibileye, Vice Chancellor of the Federal University, Lokoja, announced the results on Sunday at the collation centre, Okitipupa, Okitipupa Local Government Area of ​​Ondo State.

Solomon-Ibileye announced Faduyile as the winner of the election having obtained the most votes out of 68,474.

He said Adeolu Akinwunmi of the Allied People’s Movement (APM) came second with 1,411 votes while Adesanya Olaoluwa of the People’s Action Party (APP) and Clement Funso-Nejo of the Boot Party (BP) got 213 and 70 votes respectively.

The polling official said the total votes cast were 70,770, while 602 votes were rejected.

INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Ondo State, Mutiu Agboke, said the by-election was a test case for the 2027 general elections.

Agboke said the minor hiccups noted would help the commission prepare for the next elections.

“The election results reflect the voice of the people and thank God that all INEC personnel who went to the river bank returned safely and there were no adverse reports anywhere,” he said.

The elections were held in six local government areas of Okitipupa, Ilaje, Ese-Odo, Irele, Odigbo and Ile-Oluji/Oke-Igbo.

The by-election was held following the appointment of Senator Jimoh Ibrahim as Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN).