Ondo Election: APC Maintains Strong Lead as Results Pour In

Ondo Election Results Show APC’s Aiyedatiwa Leading With 92% of Polling Units Counted

iexclusivenews – The Ondo State governorship election has reached a crucial phase as Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of the All Progressives Congress (APC) emerges as the frontrunner, with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) reporting results from 92.09% of polling units across the state.

INEC’s latest data shows results from 3,622 out of 3,933 polling units have been successfully uploaded to its portal, pointing to a significant lead for the incumbent governor. The election, marked by both peaceful proceedings and isolated incidents, has drawn attention from various stakeholders across Nigeria’s political landscape.

Security Challenges and Voter Intimidation

Reports of electoral irregularities have surfaced during the Ondo election, with security agencies responding to various incidents:

• DSS operatives arrested a suspected vote trader carrying bags of money at Ward 4, Polling Unit 007
• Suspected thugs disrupted voting in Ofosu, Idanre Local Government Area
• Military personnel established over 30 checkpoints from Akure to Oke-Agbe

Vote Buying Allegations Impact Ondo Election Integrity

Electoral observers documented widespread vote-trading activities:

• Voters reportedly received between ₦25,000 and ₦30,000 from party agents
• The Police Service Commission (PSC) confirmed multiple instances of vote buying
• Yiaga Africa deployed 300 observers who reported systematic voter inducement

Candidate Reactions and Electoral Process

Governor Aiyedatiwa expressed satisfaction with the election’s conduct after voting at Polling Unit 5, Ugbo Ward 4. However, PDP’s candidate Agboola Ajayi raised concerns about the electoral process, claiming system compromise and BVAS malfunction.

Official Responses and Observer Assessments

Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo praised INEC’s efforts in conducting a peaceful election, while independent observers including Yiaga Africa and CDD-EAC highlighted both achievements and challenges in their preliminary reports.