𝗔𝗣𝗖 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝗢𝗻𝗱𝗼 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗕𝘆𝗲-𝗘𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗔𝘀 𝗟𝗼𝘄 𝗧𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗥𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗔𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗢𝗳 2027 𝗘𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀

𝗕𝗬 𝗡𝗜𝗚𝗘𝗥𝗗𝗘𝗟𝗧𝗔 𝗩𝗢𝗜𝗖𝗘,

𝗡𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗗𝗲𝗹𝘁𝗮, 𝗡𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has reportedly commenced an internal assessment of its performance in the Ondo South Senatorial District by-election, despite securing victory, amid concerns over voter turnout and the party’s mobilisation strength ahead of the 2027 general election.

The by-election, conducted across the six local government areas of Ondo South — Okitipupa, Ilaje, Ese-Odo, Irele, Odigbo and Ile-Oluji/Oke-Igbo — was won by the APC candidate, Prof. Dayo Faduyile, who polled 68,474 votes. His closest challenger, Adeolu Akinwumi of the Allied People’s Movement (APM), scored 1,411 votes, while other parties recorded fewer votes.

However, the outcome has triggered concerns within some APC circles over the gap between the party’s victory and the actual number of voters who participated in the election.

INEC had announced that Ondo South had 673,446 registered voters eligible to participate in the exercise, yet total votes cast stood at 70,770, with 602 ballots rejected.

Political analysts say the turnout figure has become a major talking point because Ondo South remains a strategic senatorial district for the APC, being the home district of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa and part of the wider South-West political base of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The development has also renewed discussions around the party’s recent membership registration and mobilisation drive in Ondo State. Although specific APC membership figures for Ondo South have not been officially released publicly, party stakeholders are expected to compare their membership records, ward structures and mobilisation capacity with actual voting strength recorded during the by-election.

The comparison has raised questions about whether the party’s registered support base is translating into electoral participation.

During the 2023 senatorial election, the APC candidate, Jimoh Ibrahim, secured 110,665 votes, while the PDP candidate, Agboola Ajayi, scored 65,784 votes — figures significantly higher than the latest by-election numbers.

APC insiders reportedly believe the turnout pattern must be studied ahead of 2027, especially as the party aims to consolidate its support base in the South-West and improve on its previous presidential election performance.

Meanwhile, some party leaders have argued that comparing a by-election with a general election may not present a complete picture, noting that presidential and National Assembly elections traditionally attract higher participation because they involve more offices and wider political mobilisation.

The Ondo South contest is now being viewed by political observers as an important indicator of the APC’s organisational strength, internal unity and voter mobilisation strategy ahead of the 2027 elections.