The All Progressives Congress (APC) has emerged victorious in 16 out of the 18 chairmanship seats in the local government elections conducted in Ondo State.
This announcement was made by the Chairman of the Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission (ODIEC), Joseph Aeemo, at the commission’s headquarters in Akure on Sunday.
He revealed that while the rescheduled election is ongoing in Ondo West Local Government Area, results are still awaited from Owo Local Government Area.
Twelve political parties participated in the elections, which took place on Saturday.
However, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) withdrew from the election, citing a lack of confidence in ODIEC’s ability to conduct a credible process.
The parties contesting included 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 last council election in the state occurred on August 23, 2020, with the tenure of those elected expiring on August 22, 2023. Since then, local government administration has been handled by civil servants serving as Heads of Local Government Administrations.
After multiple delays, ODIEC eventually scheduled the local government elections for January 18, 2025, marking a return to elected leadership in the councils.