PDP candidate defeats incumbent senator in Ondo

Yele Omogunwa, senator representing Ondo south, has lost his reelection bid to Nicholas Tofowomo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared the election inconclusive in the district and scheduled a supplementary election for Saturday.

In the February 23 national assembly election, the PDP senatorial candidate had polled 79,029 votes ahead of Omogunwa of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who scored 51,993.

But Kayode Onifade, the returning officer for the senatorial district, had said the 28,047 votes cancelled were higher than the margin of 27,036 votes between Tofowomo and Omogunwa.

In the re-run on Saturday however, Tofowomo again defeated Omogunwa, polling 81,892 votes as against the APC candidate’s 55,610 votes.

“Having satisfied the law by having the highest number of votes in a concluded election, I hereby declare Tofowomo of the PDP winner and he is hereby returned elected,’’ Onifade said.

The APC now has one seat at the senate as Ajayi Borrofice, lawmaker representing Ondo north senatorial district, won his reelection bid while Tayo Alasoadura lost to Ayo Akinyelure of the PDP in Ondo central.