The All Progressives Congress (APC) recorded sweeping victories across four states in Saturday’s by-elections, winning key senatorial, House of Representatives, and state assembly seats in Ondo, Nasarawa, Kano, and Kebbi.
According to results announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Sunday, the ruling party successfully consolidated its electoral strength with decisive victories in most of the contests.
Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) managed to maintain its political foothold in the South-South region by retaining the Rivers South-East Senatorial District seat.
In Ondo State, INEC declared Prof. Dayo Faduyile, a former National President of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) and current Special Adviser on Health Matters to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the winner of the Ondo South Senatorial District by-election.
Faduyile polled 68,474 votes to decisively defeat his closest rival, Adeolu Akinwunmi of the Allied People’s Movement (APM), who secured 1,411 votes, while other minor party candidates shared the remaining fragments.
The election, which saw 70,770 total votes cast across six local government areas, was held to fill the vacancy left by Senator Jimoh Ibrahim following his appointment as Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations.
Ondo State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Mutiu Agboke, described the exercise as a crucial “testing ground” for the upcoming 2027 general elections.
Conversely, the opposition PDP held onto its territory in Rivers State, where former senator Olaka Nwogu emerged victorious in the Rivers South-East Senatorial District contest.
Returning Officer Rosemary Ogu announced that Nwogu garnered 47,961 votes, comfortably defeating the APC’s Osarosaka Ebenezer, who secured 1,647 votes, and Douglas Fabeke of the Action Alliance (AA), who polled 1,175 votes.
Nwogu is set to replace the late Senator Barinada Mpigi, who passed away in office in February 2026, ensuring the PDP maintains its strategic legislative representation for the zone.
The APC’s winning streak continued in Nasarawa State, where Barrister Danladi Halilu Envulu-Anza clinched the Nasarawa North Senatorial by-election with 45,362 votes.
Professor Aminu Ali, the Returning Officer, revealed that Envulu-Anza defeated high-profile contenders, including Labaran Maku of the Labour Party, who scored 12,931 votes, and Emmanuel David Ombugadu of the PDP, who secured 11,331 votes.
Despite the clear margin of victory, the outcome faced immediate friction as several opposition political parties reportedly rejected the results and announced intentions to challenge the election in court.
In the remaining legislative contests, the APC captured critical seats in Kano and Kebbi states to round off its successful weekend.
In Kano, Rabiu Shuaibu polled 35,356 votes to win the Dawakin Kudu/Warawa Federal Constituency seat, replacing the late Muhammad Danjuma-Hassan of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP).
Similarly, in Kebbi State, Rabiu Garba Aiki secured 4,871 votes to win the Zuru State House of Assembly by-election following the demise of the former Speaker, Muhammad Usman Zuru.
Ultimately, political observers say these outcomes underscore the APC’s expanding dominance across multiple regions, serving as an early indicator of party strength and voter alignment as Nigeria inches closer to 2027.
