Professor Dayo Faduyile, representing the All Progressives Congress (APC), has been officially declared the winner of the Ondo South Senatorial District by-election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The Returning Officer, Professor Gbenga Solomon-Ibileye, announced the results on Sunday at the Okitipupa Local Government Area collation centre.
Faduyile triumphed with 68,474 total votes. His closest competitor, Adeolu Akinwunmi of the Allied People’s Movement (APM), received 1,411 votes. Other candidates included Adesanya Olaoluwa of the Action People’s Party (APP) with 213 votes and Clement Funso-Nejo of the Boot Party (BP) with 70 votes. The election saw 70,770 total ballots cast, with 602 marked as invalid.
Mutiu Agboke, the Ondo State Resident Electoral Commissioner, characterized the election as a vital trial run for the upcoming 2027 general elections. He confirmed that the commission would examine minor logistical hurdles to improve future performance and expressed relief that all personnel returned safely from riverine areas. The voting process took place across six local government areas: Okitipupa, Ilaje, Ese-Odo, Irele, Odigbo, and Ile-Oluji/Oke-Igbo. The seat had been vacant following the appointment of Senator Jimoh Ibrahim as Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations.
