The All Progressives Congress has won 16 out of the 18 chairmanship seats in the local government elections held in Ondo State.
The announcement was made by Joseph Aeemo, Chairman of the Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission, at the commission’s headquarters in Akure on Sunday, January 19, 2025.
Aeemo explained that the election in Ondo West Local Government Area was rescheduled, while results from Owo Local Government Area were still being awaited.
The election, held on Saturday, January 18, saw 12 political parties contesting for chairmanship and councillorship positions. These parties included the Action Alliance, Action Democratic Party, Action People’s Party, All Progressives Congress, All Progressives Grand Alliance, Boot Party, Labour Party, National Rescue Party, New Nigeria Peoples Party, Social Democratic Party, Young Progressive Party, and Zenith Labour Party.
The People’s Democratic Party did not participate in the election. The party announced its withdrawal earlier, expressing doubts about the ability of ODIEC to conduct a free and fair election.
A PDP spokesperson said, “We cannot trust the current commission to ensure a credible process, which is why we have chosen not to take part.”
Before Saturday’s election, the last council election in Ondo State was held on August 23, 2020. The tenure of those elected ended on August 22, 2023. Since then, local government areas in the state had been run by civil servants, particularly Heads of Local Government Administrations.
The Saturday election came after several postponements, with ODIEC eventually setting January 18, 2025, as the final date.
While most results have been declared, the rescheduled election in Ondo West Local Government Area and the pending results from Owo Local Government Area are expected to determine the outcome of the remaining two chairmanship seats.
Aeemo urged all parties to remain calm as the final results are concluded, saying, “We thank the people of Ondo State for their participation and patience during this process. We are committed to ensuring the rescheduled election and remaining results are handled transparently.”
