APC’s Dayo Faduyile wins Ondo South Senatorial by-election

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

The result was announced on Sunday at the collation centre in Okitipupa Local Government Area by the Returning Officer, Professor Gbenga Solomon-Ibileye, Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University, Lokoja.

Solomon-Ibileye stated that Faduyile emerged victorious after securing the highest number of votes cast in the election with a total of 68,474 votes.

According to the results announced, Adeolu Akinwunmi of the Allied People’s Movement, APM, came second with 1,411 votes.

Adesanya Olaoluwa of the Action People’s Party, APP, polled 213 votes, while Clement Funso-Nejo of the Boot Party, BP, secured 70 votes.

The Returning Officer disclosed that a total of 70,770 votes were cast during the election, while 602 ballots were declared invalid.

Speaking after the announcement, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, of INEC in Ondo State, Mr Mutiu Agboke, described the by-election as an important preparatory exercise ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Agboke noted that the commission would review the few challenges encountered during the process in order to strengthen future electoral operations.

“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,” he said.

The by-election was conducted across six local government areas in the senatorial district, namely Okitipupa, Ilaje, Ese-Odo, Irele, Odigbo and Ile-Oluji/Oke-Igbo.

The Ondo South Senatorial seat became vacant following the appointment of Senator Jimoh Ibrahim as Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations.