The Independent National Electoral Commission has declared Omosede Igbinedion of the All Progressives Congress as the winner of the Saturday by-election held in Ovia Federal Constituency in Edo State.
The seat in the National Assembly became vacant in September 2024, after Dennis Idahosa, who hitherto represented Ovia Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, emerged as deputy governor.
The Returning Officer for Ovia Federal Constituency by-election, Professor Clement Ighodalo, said that the APC candidate, polled a total of 77,053 votes to emerge the winner of the poll.
He added that the Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate, Johnny Aikpitanyi, scored 3,838 votes; while the candidate of the Action Democratic Congress, Dr. Sandra Asemota, garnered 925 votes to place first and second runners-up, respectively.
“This is the declaration. I, Professor Clement Ighodalo, hereby certify that I am the Returning Officer for the 2025 Ovia Federal Constituency bye election, held on the 16th day of August, 2024.
“That Omosede Igbinedion of the APC, having satisfied the requirements of the law, is hereby declared winner of the election,” he said.
Igbinedion, who was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2011, lost her re-election bid to the incumbent deputy governor, Idahosa.
She also lost another attempt to Idahosa in 2023 and had to defect from the PDP to the APC when Idahosa was nominated as the APC governorship candidate for the September 2024 governorship election in the state.
She clinched the APC ticket after Idahosa assumed office as the deputy governor.
