The All Progressives Congress recorded a dominant performance in Saturday’s by-elections, securing victories in Ondo, Nasarawa, Kano and Kebbi states, while the Peoples Democratic Party retained the Rivers South-East Senatorial District seat.
The results announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission on Sunday strengthened the APC’s legislative presence across the country, although some of the contests were overshadowed by allegations of electoral irregularities, violence and voter intimidation, reports The PUNCH.
In Nasarawa, APC candidate, Danladi Halilu, defeated Labour Party’s Labaran Maku and the PDP’s Emmanuel Ombugadu to win the Nasarawa North Senatorial seat.
The ruling party clinched the Dawakin Kudu/Warawa Federal Constituency by-election in Kano, where Rabiu Shuaibu secured a landslide victory.
Its candidate in the Enugu North Senatorial District by-election, Ikeje Asogwa, was declared the winner, while the party also emerged victorious in the Ondo and Kebbi by-elections.
In Rivers State, however, the PDP’s Olaka Nwogu comfortably retained the Rivers South-East Senatorial seat, defeating his closest APC challenger by a wide margin in the election conducted across seven local government areas.
In Nasarawa, Halilu was declared the winner after he secured 45,362 votes.
The Returning Officer, Prof Aminu Ali, announced the final results at the collation centre at College of Education, Akwanga, on Sunday, after votes were collated from Akwanga, Nasarawa Eggon and Wamba local government areas.
Declaring the results, Prof Ali said, “Danladi Envulu-anza of the APC scored 45,362 votes, Labaran Maku of the Labour Party scored 12,931 votes, and Emmanuel David Ombugadu of the PDP got 11,570 votes.
“The ADC candidate, Alaku Mohammed Steve, scored 1,496 votes, and John Paul of the NNPP got 102 votes.”
He added, “That Danladi Halilu Envulu-anza of the APC, having satisfied the requirement of the law, is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected.”
Meanwhile, agents of the LP at the collation centre staged a walkout in protest over the results and the collation process.
Dr Ben Ango, who led the LP team, walked out alongside other party members shortly after collation for the three LGAs in the district was completed.
Also reacting, Maku rejected the results declared and called for the cancellation of the by-election over alleged widespread irregularities.
Maku, a former minister of Information, speaking during a press briefing in his country home, Wakama, in the Nasarawa Eggon Local Government Area of the state, lamented the non-adherence to electoral laws by INEC officials, noting that officials of the Nasarawa State government partnered with the electoral umpire to conduct the election.
He said, “I have observed that what took place in the by-election in Nasarawa State was a sham, a complete sham. I consulted with my party. We decided that the best option is to pull out of the by-election and ask INEC to honourably cancel it and conduct a free and fair by-election for the senatorial district.”
The LP senatorial candidate noted that the election did not take place in most places, adding that ballot papers were thumb-printed, while places such as Alizaga, Umme and Alushi wards in Nasarawa Eggon LGA conducted elections without the use of the BVAS machine.
Reacting in a telephone interview, the state APC Publicity Secretary, Augustine Ogaba, dismissed Maku’s allegations, urging him to learn to accept the outcome of electoral processes.
According to him, the minister’s waning popularity in the senatorial zone could not have earned him victory during the by-election, especially because he had not been stable in a political party within the past few months.
Ogaba added, “It is funny for anyone to accuse the APC of any form of irregularity during the by-election because if you put all the results of the opposition parties together, it is not even half of what our candidate scored.
“For the opposition, it is only when they win an election that it is free and fair. If they lose, they will find a reason to complain about the process.
“My advice to the former minister is for him to learn from the process and prepare for another time. He should go back home and do his homework so that he can come out stronger next time instead of complaining for no obvious reason.”
Announcing the final results of the Enugu North by-election in the early hours of Sunday at the INEC office in Enugu, INEC Returning Officer for the election, Prof Christian Ezebe, certified that Asogwa polled a total of 162,360 votes to emerge victorious.
Out of the 184,094 accredited voters, Asogwa’s closest rival, Dr Nestor Ezeme of the Peoples Democratic Party, secured 9,299 votes to come a distant second.
Making the official declaration, Prof Ezebe said: “I, Prof Christian Ezebe, hereby certify that I am the returning officer for the 2026 Enugu North district by-election held on the 20th June 2026. The election was contested. That the candidates received the following votes – Chika Idoke of ADC – 1,676 votes, Asogwa Ikeje Israel of APC – 162,360, Aneke Kingsley Chukwuebuka of BP 416; Eze Ejike Simon of LP: 1,027; Osai Elias Okwudili of NDC 3,129; Ezeme Nestor Chika of PDP – 9,299 and Ugwuanyi Charles Ugochukwu of PRP – 667.
“Arising, therefore, Asogwa Ikeje Israel of the APC, having satisfied the requirements of the law, is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected.”
Despite the landslide victory margin, the exercise was heavily marred by reports of severe violence, technical hitches, ballot-box snatching, and coordinated attacks on opposition elements across the six local government areas of the senatorial zone.
A major flashpoint of violence occurred at Umuodo Village Hall in Ogwu Ward, Obollo-Afor, where a PDP polling agent identified simply as Justice was hospitalised after he got severe head and nose injuries.
Rabiu Shuaibu of the APC was declared the winner of the Dawakin Kudu/Warawa Federal Constituency by-election in Kano State.
The Returning Officer, Prof Umar Sani of Bayero University, Kano, announced the result following the completion of collation after a peaceful exercise across polling units.
According to the official results, Rabiu Shuaibu (APC) scored 35,356 votes, while Lawal Garba Haruna of APM polled 268 votes and Abubakar Yahaya Muhammad of LP got 98 votes.
The APC candidate in Ondo South Senatorial District, Prof Francis Faduyile, was declared the winner by the INEC Returning Officer for the election, Prof Gbenga Ibileye.
According to the INEC official, Faduyile, a former President of the Nigeria Medical Association, polled 68,474 votes to defeat three other candidates of the APM, APP and Boot Party.
The returning officer, who is also the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University Lokoja, said, “Faduyile polled 68,474 votes to defeat Adeolu Akinwunmi of the Allied People’s Movement, who scored 1,411 votes. Adesanya Olaoluwa of Action People’s Party and Clement Funso-Nejo of Boot Party recorded 213 and 70 votes, respectively.”
The electoral officer announced the total votes cast as 70,770, with 602 rejected.
Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa congratulated Prof Faduyile on his victory in the by-election.
The governor, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Ebenezer Adeniyan, on Sunday, described the outcome of the election as a reflection of the confidence and trust reposed in him by the people of the district.
“The victory of the former President of the Nigerian Medical Association and distinguished academic underscores the people’s belief in his capacity to provide effective representation and advance the interests of Ondo South at the National Assembly,” the governor stated.
Commending INEC, security agencies, and the electorate for ensuring a peaceful and credible electoral process, the governor urged all stakeholders to rally round the senator-elect in the collective interest of the progress and development of Ondo South Senatorial District.
In Rivers State, INEC declared Olaka Nwogu of the PDP as the winner of the Rivers South East Senatorial District by-election.
Only the PDP, APC, Action Alliance and LP were cleared by INEC for the by-election contested in Khana, Gokana, Tai, Eleme, Andoni, Oyigbo and Opobo, seven local government areas that make up the Rivers South-East Senatorial District.
INEC Returning Officer for the election, Prof Rosemary Ogu, declared that Nwogu Olaka Johnson of the PDP secured 46,961 votes to emerge the winner of the election.
Nwogu, an ally of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, defeated his closest rival, Osarokaka Ebenezer Erewari of the APC, who polled 1,647 votes.
Meanwhile, candidates of the AA and the LP rejected the result, threatening to challenge the outcome in court.
The AA candidate, Dr Douglas Fabeke, in a news briefing in Port Harcourt, accused INEC officials and the police of aiding rigging.
He also alleged the proliferation of fake INEC results sheets, saying he would not be silenced in the matter.
He stated, “In this situation, we will not keep quiet. We will continue to raise our voice. Not only are we going to raise our voice, but we are also going to file a case against INEC, PDP and the candidate, if there is anybody that exists as a candidate.
“We have never seen him anywhere. So it’s a complicated issue in which the Nigerian judicial system will define for us what kind of election this is.”
In a statement he later released, Fabeke said what transpired on Saturday confirmed his fears about what would happen in the 2027 general elections.
He stated, “I had previously stated that the Rivers South East senatorial by-election would serve as a litmus test for the 2027 election. Regrettably, the Independent National Electoral Commission has once again fallen short of expectations.”
The AA candidate continued, “I have instructed our polling unit agents and LGA coalition agents not to sign any documents that may compromise our position.”
Similarly, the LP candidate, Kinani Sam, said he had evidence of rigging during the by-election and demanded its cancellation.
“We are demanding that INEC should not release any results. If they do otherwise, we will take the next step possible.
“I can tell you that we have video and pictorial evidence and voice notes of some of the INEC and LG officials,” he said.
When contacted, the INEC spokesperson in Rivers State, Geraldine Ekelemu, dismissed the allegation, adding, however, that it was within the candidates’ rights to contest the election if they felt dissatisfied with the process.
Ekelemu encouraged them to go ahead if they had evidence of their claims, but said the commission had conducted a credible by-election.
She stated, “It is within everybody’s right where they feel an activity is not properly done. It is welcomed, and that’s why we have such provisions in the Electoral Act.
“I believe if they have to prove what they are alleging, that will also be good for them to take it up.
“However, where we stand, we have done what we are expected to do to ensure that the process was smooth and concluded.”
