Ondo South By-Election Victory Shows Opposition Has Lost Ground, Says APC

By Sunday Ameh

The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress Media and Publicity Subcommittee in Ondo State, Mr Banji Okunomo, has described the victory of the party’s candidate, Prof. Dayo Faduyile, in the Ondo South Senatorial District by-election as evidence of the APC’s dominance and the declining strength of opposition parties in the state.

Okunomo, in a statement issued on Saturday, said the outcome of the election reflected the widespread acceptance of the APC across the district and reaffirmed the party’s position as the leading political force in Ondo State.

According to him, the election was largely a one-sided contest, with opposition parties making little impact across polling units in the six local government areas that make up the senatorial district.

He claimed that in several polling units, opposition parties were unable to deploy agents, a development he said exposed the weakness of their political structures.

“The election was, for all practical purposes, a walkover for the APC. The party maintained overwhelming dominance across virtually all polling units in the Ondo South Senatorial District, while the opposition struggled to make any meaningful impact,” he stated.

Okunomo commended the Independent National Electoral Commission and security agencies for ensuring a peaceful and orderly electoral process, noting that their professionalism contributed to the credibility of the poll.

However, he urged INEC to improve the efficiency of its Bimodal Voter Accreditation System ahead of future elections, citing reports of technical glitches that allegedly prevented some eligible voters from being accredited.

According to him, what appeared to be low voter turnout in some polling units was partly due to BVAS-related challenges that left many willing voters unable to cast their ballots.

He called on the electoral commission to strengthen the reliability of the technology in order to boost public confidence in the electoral process and prevent voter disenfranchisement.

The APC chieftain attributed the party’s victory to what he described as growing public confidence in the administration of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa and the policies of President Bola Tinubu.

He said more residents of Ondo State had continued to identify with the programmes of the APC-led governments at both the state and federal levels, leading to a decline in the popularity of opposition parties.

Okunomo further described the by-election result as an endorsement of the APC’s leadership and governance agenda.

He congratulated Faduyile on his victory and also commended Governor Aiyedatiwa, President Tinubu, and members of the APC across the state for what he termed a remarkable electoral success.

Prof. Faduyile emerged victorious in the Ondo South Senatorial District by-election conducted on Saturday by INEC.