By The Metro 
The Independent National Electoral Commission has declared Prof. Dayo Faduyile of the All Progressives Congress as the winner of the Ondo South Senatorial District by-election held on Saturday.
INEC Returning Officer, Prof. Gbenga Solomon-Ibileye, Vice Chancellor of the Federal University, Lokoja, announced the result on Sunday at the collation centre in Okitipupa, Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo State.
Solomon-Ibileye said Faduyile polled the highest votes with 68,474 to emerge winner.
He said Adeolu Akinwunmi of the Allied People’s Movement came second with 1,411 votes, while Adesanya Olaoluwa of the Action Peoples Party and Clement Funso-Nejo of the Boot Party scored 213 and 70 votes respectively.
The Returning Officer stated that the total votes cast stood at 70,770, while 602 votes were rejected.
Speaking, Mutiu Agboke, the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Ondo State, said the by-election served as a testing ground for the 2027 general elections.
Agboke said the minor challenges recorded would help the commission improve future elections.
“The results of the election reflected the people’s voice and thank God that all INEC staff who went to the riverine came back safely and no negative report anywhere,” he said.
The election was held across six local government areas: Okitipupa, Ilaje, Ese-Odo, Irele, Odigbo and Ile-Oluji/Oke-Igbo.
The by-election followed the appointment of Senator Jimoh Ibrahim as Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations.