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 bye-election conducted on Saturday.
Faduyile, a former National President of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) and Special Adviser on Health Matters to Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, secured a decisive victory in the poll.
Announcing the results at the collation centre in Okitipupa, the Returning Officer and Vice Chancellor of the Federal University Lokoja, Prof. Gbenga Solomon-Ibileye, said Faduyile garnered 68,474 votes to emerge victorious.
His closest challenger, Adeolu Akinwunmi of the Allied People’s Movement (APM), polled 1,411 votes, while Adesanya Olaoluwa of the Action People’s Party (APP) received 213 votes. Clement Funso-Nejo of the Boot Party (BP) scored 70 votes.
According to INEC, a total of 70,770 votes were cast during the election, with 602 ballots declared invalid.
The bye-election was conducted across six local government areas — Okitipupa, Ilaje, Ese-Odo, Irele, Odigbo, and Ile-Oluji/Oke-Igbo — to fill the vacancy created by the appointment of former Senator Jimoh Ibrahim as Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations.
Speaking after the announcement of the results, Ondo State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Dr. Mutiu Agboke, described the exercise as an important rehearsal for the 2027 general elections.
Agboke noted that although a few operational challenges were recorded, they would provide useful lessons for future elections. He also disclosed that all electoral personnel deployed to difficult riverine communities returned safely and that no major security incidents were reported during the exercise.