The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) at the weekend, reaffirmed its dominance in the nation’s political space, ahead of the 2027 race, as it won the majority of the by-elections held in 12 states across the country. But in Kano, the ruling New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in the state and the APC rekindled their rivalry as they won one federal constituency each, based on the results of the election declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

However, the APC snatched victory in the poll conducted in Adamawa, the home state of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who is major promoter of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition, which failed to have a successful outing in the by-elections held across the 12 states.

The by-elections were conducted to fill vacant legislative seats in Jigawa, Edo, Ogun, Oyo, Adamawa, Anambra, Kaduna, Kano, Taraba, Kogi, Niger, Enugu, and Zamfara states. The seats became vacant due to either the resignation or death of serving members of national and state assemblies, and the polls spread across two senatorial districts in Anambra and Edo states, five federal constituencies in Edo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Ogun, and Oyo states, and nine state constituencies in Adamawa, Anambra, Kaduna, Kano, Kogi, Niger, Taraba, and Zamfara.

PDP wins Ibadan North Federal Constituency with 18,404 votes

Honourable Folajinmi Oyekunle of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo State won the election conducted in the Ibadan North Federal Constituency comprising 12 wards. He is believed to have won in all the wards as the INEC Returning Officer, Professor Abioldun Oluwadare of the University of Ibadan, made the declaration at the end of the collation exercise at Ikolaba High School, Ibadan.

He said Oyekunle polled 18,404 to beat Honourable Adewale Olatunju, popularly known as Murphy, to a distant second with 8,312 votes. With this victory, Oyekunle will officially replace the late lawmaker, Hon. Musiliu Olaide Akinremi (Jagaban), whose death created the vacancy and necessitated the bye-election.

The outcome has been hailed as a significant milestone for the PDP, marking the party’s successful reclamation of the Ibadan North Federal Constituency seat for the first time since 2011. Supporters of the party thronged the streets in jubilation shortly after the announcement, describing the result as a “coast-to-coast victory” that reaffirms the PDP’s popularity in the state.

In the meantime, the chairman of Oluyole local government, Asiwaju Akeem Olatunji, has expressed confidence that the party will reclaim all three senatorial districts and 14 federal constituencies in the state during the 2027 general election. Olatunji made this assertion while congratulating Oyekunle on his landslide victory, and equally commended Governor Seyi Makinde for his visionary leadership and commitment to consolidating PDP’s dominance in the state.

APC wins Remo Federal Constituency

The APC candidate in the election for Remo Federal Constituency in Ogun State, Adesola Elegbeji, was declared winner by INEC, having polled a total of 41,237 votes to defeat her close rival, Bolarinwa Oluwole of the PDP, who had 14,324 votes.

The Returning Officer, Professor Kazeem Bello, who made the declaration at the Ikenne collation center in the early hours on Sunday, said that Elegbeji satisfied all electoral requirements and therefore stood elected as the new representative of the constituency in the House of Representatives.

The returning officer explained that at Ikenne local government, APC scored 10,227, PDP got 5,595; while at Remo North local government, APC garnered 8,053, PDP 992; and at Sagamu local government, APC won with 22,958 with PDP scoring 7,737.

He said: “That Elegbeji Adesola Yetunde Ayoola of APC having satisfied the requirement of law is hereby declared the winner and returned elected.”

The Ogun State governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, said the victory of the APC was a product of teamwork, dedication, commitment and trust in God. Abiodun said during a press conference at his residence in Iperu Remo that the victory of the party’s candidate, Princess Elegbeji, is the beginning of a new chapter in the democratic journey of the state.

The governor, therefore, admonished the House of Representatives member-elect to carry this sacred mandate with humility, adding that the celebration of the victory encompasses the reflection on the journey that heralded the victory.

He explained that the victory did not come by chance but was a product of dedication, commitment, teamwork, and absolute trust in God, saying his team from the onset resolved that the election would not be an ordinary contest but an opportunity to showcase the strength of APC, the resilience of the people, and the clarity of shared vision.

APC wins Okura constituency in Kogi

APC candidate in the election held in Okura state constituency of Kogi, Hassan Shado, was declared winner of the bye-election in the state by the Returning Officer, Professor Emmanuel Enenche Onome. He said Shado polled 55,073 votes, while the candidates of the PDP and the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) scored 1,038 and 445 votes respectively.

The by-election followed the death of Enema Paul, the former lawmaker representing Okura in the Kogi State House of Assembly.

APC reaffirms hold on Kaduna

In Kaduna, the APC consolidated its grip as the party humbled both the PDP and the ADC coalition led by a former governor of the state, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, in the by-elections held in Chikun/Kajuru Federal Constituency and state constituencies in Zaria and Sabon-Gari.

The Returning Officer for the poll, Professor Abubakar Jumare, said the APC got 34,580 votes, ADC got 3,477 votes, while PDP got 11,491 votes in the election for the House of Representatives conducted in Chikun/Kajuru constituency. He said: “Joseph Bagudu of APC having satisfied the requirements is hereby returned elected.”

Similarly, in the Zaria Kewaye constituency, the APC polled 26,613 to defeat the Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate, who got 5,721 votes. The Returning Officer for the election, Professor Balarabe Abdullahi, declared Isa Haruna of the APC as the duly elected candidate.

In Barawa constituency, the Returning Officer, Professor Nasiru Rabiu, declared that the APC scored 10,026 votes against PDP which got 5,499 votes.

Reacting to the outcome of the elections, Commissioner for Information-designate in the state, Ahmed Maiyaki, said the sweeping victory of the APC was a demonstration of Governor Uba Sani’s inclusivity in governance and spread in developing the entire state, irrespective of party and religious divides.

“This emphatic victory has been described by political observers as historic and symbolic, representing the breaking of a long-standing jinx in a constituency that had consistently resisted APC’s advances. With this breakthrough, the party has consolidated its hold on Kaduna State, stretching its dominance into territories that were once opposition fortresses,” he added.

Edo APC maintains supremacy over PDP, others

The candidate of the APC in the by-election conducted in Edo, Dr Joseph Ikpea and Omosede Igbinedion, won in both the Edo Central senatorial district and Ovia federal constituency respectively. The two seats in the National Assembly became vacant in September 2024 after the election of Monday Okpebholo, the then senator representing Edo Central, as governor, and Dennis Idahosa, who hitherto represented Ovia federal constituency in the House of Representatives, as deputy governor.

INEC’s Returning Officer for the senatorial election, Professor Kingsley Ubaorji, at the wee hours of Sunday in Ubiaja, the administrative headquarters of Esan South-East Local Government Area, declared Dr. Ikpea the winner of the polls with 105,129 votes. He defeated his closest rival, Joe Okojie of the PDP, who scored 15,146 votes.

“This is the declaration. I, Professor Omo-Iwoze, hereby certify that I am the Returning Officer for the 2025 Edo Central Senatorial District bye election, held on the 16th day of August, 2024. That Ikpea Joseph of APC, having satisfied the requirements of the law is hereby declared winner of the election,” Professor Omo-Iwoze said.

An elated Ikpea dedicated his victory to God and the people of the district who he said had “chosen vision over sentiment, progress over politics-as-usual.” He promised to prioritize legislation and interventions in the areas of infrastructure, youth empowerment, education, healthcare, and the strengthening of traditional institutions.

Also, the Returning Officer for Ovia federal constituency in the election, Professor Clement Ighodalo, said that the APC candidate, Omosede Igbinedion, polled 77,053 votes to emerge winner. He added that PDP candidate, Johnny Aikpitanyi, scored 3,838 votes; while the candidate of the ADC, Dr. Sandra Asemota, garnered 925 votes to place first and second runners-up respectively.

Igbinedion, who was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2011, lost her reelection bid to the incumbent deputy governor, Idahosa. She equally lost another attempt to Idahosa in 2023 and had to defect from the PDP to the APC when Idahosa was nominated as the APC governorship candidate for the September 2024 election in the state. She clinched the APC ticket after Idahosa assumed office as deputy governor.

Meanwhile, Governor Monday Okpebholo has said that the APC victory at the by-elections in the state is a reflection of the people’s trust in the party’s candidates. Reacting to the development on Sunday through his Chief Press Secretary, Fred Itua, the governor commended the people for voting for the candidates, assuring that Ikpea and Igbinedion would bring adequate representation to the people.

“This victory is a clear indication of the trust and confidence the people have in Ikpea and Igbinedion’s abilities to represent their interests effectively at the National Assembly,” he said.

INEC declares Zamfara elections inconclusive

In Gusau, the INEC on Sunday declared the Kaura Namoda South constituency by-election in Zamfara state inconclusive. The Returning Officer for the poll, Dr. Sa’ad Lawal, who broke the news at Kasuwar Daji collation center of the Kaura Namoda South, said there would be a re-run in three polling units that comprise the Kyambarawa ward and two polling units in Saka Jiki ward.

He cited relevant provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 — Section 24 (2&3), Section 47 (3), and Section 51 (2). The Returning Officer said the date for the rerun election in the affected polling units would be announced later.

The Returning Officer explained that APC candidate polled 7,001 while that of PDP got 5,341 votes in Saturday’s poll. It was gathered that the results from the six wards where the election was conducted in Kaura Namoda South showed that the APC is leading in four wards, while PDP won in two.

NNPP kicks as INEC declares APC winner of Kano supplementary poll

The Returning Officer for the Ghari/Tsanyawa supplementary re-run, Professor Muhammad Waziri of Bayero University, said APC’s candidate, Garba Gwarmai, won by 31,472 votes as against NNPP’s Yusuf Maigado, who secured 27,931 votes.

Saturday’s supplementary election followed the earlier poll, which was declared inconclusive. However, the NNPP rejected the results of the poll and announced its readiness to challenge it in court over alleged rigging.

The chairman of the party in the state, Hashimu Suleiman Dungurawa, said: “The leadership of NNPP in Kano State has acknowledged the tremendous achievements recorded by the party in Kano on the re-run and by-elections at Tsanyawa/Ghari and Shanono/Bagwai state constituencies, respectively.”

He said that the party rejected the election results of Tsanyawa/Ghari, which was declared at the INEC Headquarters in Kano, while “cancelling entirely the 10 polling units that the Appeal Court nullified and ordered for a fresh election.” He alleged that voters were denied the right to vote after they came out massively and cast their votes for the NNPP candidate.

“People are aware that in Ghari Local Government Area the election was conducted peacefully in the 10 polling units but some unpatriotic politicians connived with INEC officials and forced the declaration of the APC candidate as the winner. Credible election was held in the Shanono/Bagwai by-election and if not because the Shanono/Bagwai results were declared at collation centers, APC might have attempted to change the narratives.

Therefore, we appreciate the role of the constituents and other stakeholders, particularly the security agencies who provided enabling environment for very peaceful re-run and by-elections.”

APGA defeats ADC in Anambra South, Onitsha North 1 constituency

In Anambra, the ruling All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) stamped its prolonged dominance in the state and its candidate for the Anambra South senatorial district, Chief Emmanuel Nwachukwu, recorded a landslide victory. Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo of the APGA is seeking re-election in the governorship election coming up in November in the state.

Nwachukwu amassed a total of 90,408 votes to defeat Chief Azuka Okwuosa of the APC, who scored 19,812 votes, and Donald Amamgbo of the ADC, who got 2,889 votes. Sixteen parties fielded candidates in the poll meant to elect a replacement for the late occupant of the seat, Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, who won reelection in 2023 under the platform of Young Progressive Party (YPP), but later joined the APC before his death in 2024.

Nwachukwu is the first APGA member to win a senatorial poll in the zone, as well as second member of the party to win a senatorial post in Anambra State. The former President General of Ukpor will also become the first person from Nnewi South to occupy the position upon inauguration.

The electoral commission also declared APGA candidate for the Onitsha North 1 State Constituency, Barrister Ifeoma Mimi Azikiwe, winner of the election. According to INEC’s Returning Officer, Professor Ibiam Ekpe, Azikiwe secured 7,774 votes to defeat the ADC candidate, Mrs. Justice Azuka, who garnered 1,909 votes.

Ekpe, who is a lecturer in the Department of Soil Science and Technology, Federal University of Technology (FUTO), Owerri, said that candidate of APC, Mr. Ezennia Chuka Ojekwe, and that of YPP, Ms Njideka Ndiwe, got 1,371 and 655 votes respectively.