INEC Announces APC’s Faduyile as Winner of Ondo South By‑Election

Fidelis David in Akure

On Sunday, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced that Prof. Dayo Faduyile of the All Progressives Congress (APC) had won the Ondo South Senatorial District bye‑election held the previous day.

Faduyile, who previously served as National President of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), is now the Special Adviser on Health Matters to Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.

Prof. Gbenga Solomon‑Ibileye, the INEC returning officer and Vice Chancellor of the Federal University Lokoja, reported that Faduyile received 68,474 votes, defeating Adeolu Akinwunmi of the Allied People’s Movement (APM), who garnered 1,411 votes, Adesanya Olaoluwa of the Action People’s Party (APP), and Clement Funso‑Nejo of the Boot Party (BP), who obtained 213 and 70 votes respectively.

At the collation centre in Okitipupa, within the Okitipupa council area, Solomon‑Ibileye stated that a total of 70,770 votes were cast, of which 602 were rejected, across six local government areas: Okitipupa, Ilaje, Ese‑Odo, Irele, Odigbo, and Ile‑Oluji/Oke‑Igbo.

The election was held to fill the vacancy created when Senator Jimoh Ibrahim was appointed Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations.

Dr. Mutiu Agboke, the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), said the bye‑election acted as a “testing ground” for 2027.

After announcing the result, Agboke remarked that the minor hiccups encountered would aid the commission in improving future operations, noting that all staff sent to riverine areas had returned safely and that no negative incidents had been reported.