The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Prof. Dayo Faduyile of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the Ondo South Senatorial District by-election conducted on Saturday. The result was announced on Sunday at the collation centre in Okitipupa Local Government Area by the Returning Officer, Prof. Gbenga Solomon-Ibileye, Vice Chancellor of the Federal University, Lokoja.
Election Results
Announcing the outcome, Solomon-Ibileye said Faduyile secured 68,474 votes to defeat other candidates in the contest and emerge as the senator-elect for the district. According to the results released by INEC, Adeolu Akinwunmi of the Allied People’s Movement (APM) came a distant second with 1,411 votes, while Adesanya Olaoluwa of the Action Peoples Party (APP) garnered 213 votes. Clement Funso-Nejo of the Boot Party polled 70 votes.
The Returning Officer disclosed that a total of 70,770 votes were cast during the election, with 602 votes declared invalid.
INEC's Assessment
Speaking after the announcement, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Ondo State, Mutiu Agboke, described the by-election as a significant exercise for the commission ahead of the 2027 general elections. Agboke said the election provided an opportunity for INEC to assess its preparedness and identify areas requiring improvement before the next nationwide polls.
He noted that despite a few operational challenges encountered during the exercise, the election was conducted peacefully across the six local government areas that make up the senatorial district. “The results of the election reflected the people’s voice and thank God that all INEC staff who went to the riverine areas returned safely, and there was no negative report from anywhere,” Agboke said.
Background
The Ondo South Senatorial District comprises Okitipupa, Ilaje, Ese-Odo, Irele, Odigbo and Ile-Oluji/Oke-Igbo local government areas. The by-election was necessitated by the appointment of former occupant of the seat, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, as Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, creating a vacancy in the Senate.
With his victory, Faduyile is expected to represent Ondo South Senatorial District in the National Assembly for the remainder of the current legislative term.
