INEC Declares Faduyile Winner Of Ondo South Bye-Election

Prof. Dayo Faduyile of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has emerged winner of the Ondo South Senatorial District bye-election, following the declaration of results by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Announcing the outcome on Sunday at the collation centre in Okitipupa, the Returning Officer and Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University Lokoja, Prof. Gbenga Solomon-Ibileye, said Faduyile secured 68,474 votes to defeat Adeolu Akinwunmi of the Allied People’s Movement (APM), who garnered 1,411 votes.

Candidates of the Action People’s Party (APP) and Boot Party (BP), Adesanya Olaoluwa and Clement Funso-Nejo, polled 213 and 70 votes respectively, while 602 ballots were rejected out of the 70,770 votes cast.

The election was conducted across Okitipupa, Ilaje, Ese-Odo, Irele, Odigbo and Ile-Oluji/Oke-Igbo local government areas to fill the vacancy created by the appointment of former senator Jimoh Ibrahim as Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations.

Reacting to the exercise, Ondo State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Mutiu Agboke, described the bye-election as a “testing ground” for the 2027 general elections, saying lessons learnt from minor hitches recorded during the poll would help improve future electoral processes.

He added that all officials deployed to riverine communities returned safely and no security incidents were reported.