APC Dominates Ondo South: Faduyile Secures Senatorial By-Election Victory

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially declared Professor Dayo Faduyile of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the undeniable winner of the Ondo South Senatorial District by-election. This pivotal election took place on Saturday, with the results meticulously announced on Sunday at the collation centre located in Okitipupa Local Government Area, Ondo State. The declaration was made by the Returning Officer, Professor Gbenga Solomon-Ibileye, who also serves as the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University, Lokoja, underscoring the academic authority behind the announcement.

Professor Faduyile secured a commanding victory, polling an impressive 68,474 votes, which represented the highest number of votes cast in the fiercely contested election. Following a clear distance behind, Adeolu Akinwunmi of the Allied People’s Movement (APM) emerged as the second-placed candidate with 1,411 votes. Other candidates who participated in the by-election included Adesanya Olaoluwa of the Action People’s Party (APP), who garnered 213 votes, and Clement Funso-Nejo of the Boot Party (BP), who secured 70 votes. The Returning Officer further disclosed that a total of 70,770 votes were cast during the electoral process, out of which 602 ballots were unfortunately declared invalid.

In the aftermath of the announcement, Mr. Mutiu Agboke, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of INEC in Ondo State, reflected on the significance of the by-election. He described it as an important preparatory exercise, serving as a crucial testing ground for the much-anticipated 2027 general elections. Agboke affirmed the commission's commitment to refining its operations, stating that INEC would thoroughly review the few challenges or "hiccups" encountered during the process. This proactive approach aims to strengthen future electoral activities and ensure greater efficiency and fairness. He expressed satisfaction, noting that "The results of the election reflected the people’s voice, and thank God that all INEC staff who went to the riverine came back safely and no negative report anywhere."

The by-election was meticulously conducted across six distinct local government areas within the senatorial district. These areas included Okitipupa, Ilaje, Ese-Odo, Irele, Odigbo, and Ile-Oluji/Oke-Igbo, demonstrating the extensive geographical reach of the electoral exercise. The necessity for this by-election arose due to the vacancy of the Ondo South Senatorial seat. This vacancy was created following the appointment of Senator Jimoh Ibrahim as Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, a significant diplomatic posting that necessitated his departure from the legislative role. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) also reported on these developments.