Ondo South Bye-Election: Faduyile Emerges Victorious as APC Secures Landslide Win

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced Prof. Dayo Faduyile of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the Ondo South Senatorial District bye-election, which took place on Saturday.

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Faduyile, a former National President of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) and currently the Special Adviser on Health Matters to Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, emerged victorious in the election.

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According to the INEC returning officer, Prof. Gbenga Solomon-Ibileye, who is the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University Lokoja, Faduyile secured 68,474 votes to win the election.

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

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The announcement was made by Solomon-Ibileye on Sunday at the collation centre in Okitipupa, Okitipupa council area of the state, where he also revealed that the total votes cast were 70,770, with 602 rejected.

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The bye-election was conducted across six Local Government Areas (LGAs): Okitipupa, Ilaje, Ese-Odo, Irele, Odigbo, and Ile-Oluji/Oke-Igbo, to fill the vacant seat left by Senator Jimoh Ibrahim following his appointment as Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations.

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The INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr Mutiu Agboke, viewed the bye-election as a “testing ground” for 2027, and noted that the minor issues encountered during the poll would aid the commission in its preparations.

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Agboke further stated that all staff deployed to riverine areas returned safely, with no negative incidents reported, and that the lessons learned from the bye-election would help the commission to improve its performance.