The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Dr. Dayo Faduyile, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as the winner of the Ondo South Senatorial District by-election held on Saturday.
Faduyile, a former National President of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), emerged victorious after defeating three other candidates in a closely watched electoral contest that covered the six local government areas of the senatorial district.
The Returning Officer for the election, Prof. Gbenga Samuel, announced the results after completing collation from all polling units and local government areas. He stated that the APC candidate met all legal requirements and secured the highest number of valid votes cast.
According to INEC, the total number of registered voters in the district stood at 672,302, while 70,811 voters were accredited for the exercise. After sorting and counting, 70,168 votes were declared valid, while 602 votes were rejected, bringing the total valid vote count to 70,770.
Faduyile recorded a commanding lead with 68,474 votes, far ahead of his closest rival, Adeolu Akinwumi of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), who polled 1,411 votes. Other candidates trailed significantly, with Olaoluwa Adesanya of the Action Peoples Party (APP) securing 213 votes, while Funso Clement of the Boot Party (BP) received 70 votes.
Announcing the final result, Prof. Samuel said: “I hereby declare that Faduyile Adedayo of the APC, having satisfied the requirements of the law and scored the highest number of valid votes cast, is hereby declared the winner of the Ondo South Senatorial District by-election.”
The by-election was conducted to fill the vacancy created after the former senator representing the district, Jimoh Ibrahim, was appointed and confirmed as Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations.
The election outcome further strengthens the APC’s position in the South-West political landscape, as the party continues to consolidate its influence in Ondo State’s senatorial representation. Political observers note that the scale of the victory reflects strong party mobilisation and voter alignment in the district, although turnout figures suggest relatively low voter participation compared to the total registered electorate.
INEC has yet to announce any major incidents of electoral violence or widespread irregularities in the exercise, suggesting a largely peaceful voting process across the district.
