Three women win seats as APC maintains majority in Ondo House of Assembly

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has won 22 of the 26 seats in the Ondo State House of Assembly, with three female candidates among the winners of the elections held on Saturday.

The opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won the four remaining seats for Àkúré South Constituency 1; Akoko South West Constituency 1 & 2 as well as Akoko Northwest constituency 2.

It will be recalled that the APC had won 23 of the seats in the 2019 general election, the PDP won just two while the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) won one seat.

Three female lawmakers will be part of the 10th Ondo Assembly of the House, as against one in the outgoing Assembly.

The women who won their elections are Morenike Witherspoon (APC Owo 2); Annah Fayemi (APC Ilaje 2) and Oluwatosin Ogunlowo (APC Idanre).

The other APC members-elect as announced by INEC include Chris Ayebusiwa, Okitipupa 1; Ololade Gbegudu, Okitipupa 2; Olatunji Ifabiyi, Odigbo 1; Stephen Abitogun, Akure 2; Temitope Akokolafe, Ifedore; Oluwole Ogunmolasuyi, Owo1,; Moyinolorun Ogunwumiju, Ondo West 1 and Christopher Ogunlana, Irele.

Others are Oladiji Olamide, Ondo East; Abayomi Akinruntan, Ilaje 1; Oladapo Biola, Ondo West 2; Messiah Allen, Ese-Odo; Oluwarotimi Fasonu, Odigbo 2; Oshatti Emmanuel, Ose; Murtala Suleiman, Akoko South East; Fatai Atere, Akoko North West 1; Victor Japhet, Akoko North East; and Kolawole Ologede, Akure North.

Members-elect of the PDP are Oguntodu Olajide, Akure 1; Oluwatoyin Daodu, Akoko Southwest 1; Tope Agbulu, Akoko Southwest 2 and Felix Afe, Akoko Northwest 2.

Ondo is among the eight states that did not hold a governorship election on Saturday as the tenure of the incumbent will run until next year.

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The assembly elections were conducted at 3,933 polling units and 203 wards or registration areas across the 18 local government areas of the state.

A total of 22 lawmakers-elect will be new at the 10th Assembly in the state when it is inaugurated in June.

Five of the current members had failed at their parties’ primaries, while 11 others did not seek reelection. Only eight of them contested to retain their seats in Saturday’s polls but four of them lost.

Those who failed to return, include Tomide Akinribido (Ondo West 1 PDP); Favour Tomomewo (Ilaje 2, ADC); Hon Taofeeq Muhammed (Akoko Northwest 2, APC) and Toluwani Borokini (Akure South1, APC).

The four who made it through are Oluwole Ogunmolasuyi (Owo 1 APC/ Majority Leader); Oladiji Olamide (Ondo east APC); Ololade Gbegudu (Okitipupa 11, APC); and Abayomi Akinruntan (Ilaje 1, APC) who is returning for the third time.