Nigeria’s political map saw significant shifts following the high-stakes legislative by-elections. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officially declared results that heavily reinforced the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) across multiple regions, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) held its ground in its South-South stronghold.
While the APC celebrated sweeping victories in the North and West, the entire exercise was shadowed by intense pushback from opposition parties, who raised alarms over technical failures, physical intimidation, and structural anomalies.
Here is the comprehensive breakdown of how the key battlegrounds voted.
The Big Winners: APC Sweeps Crucial Seats
The APC leveraged strong local machinery to clear major Senate and House of Representatives seats across five key states.
1. Enugu North Senatorial District
In an incredibly lopsided paper victory, the APC’s Ikeje Asogwa won the seat with a staggering 162,360 votes. His closest rival, Dr. Nestor Ezeme of the PDP, trailed far behind with just 9,299 votes.
The Shadow Side: Despite the huge margin, local reports indicated the zone faced severe technical hitches, widespread ballot-box snatching, and coordinated attacks on opposition strongholds. A PDP polling agent was left hospitalized with head injuries following violence at Umuodo Village Hall.
2. Nasarawa North Senatorial District
The APC’s Danladi Halilu Envulu-anza successfully clinched the seat after polling 45,362 votes, comfortably defeating Labaran Maku of the Labour Party (12,931 votes) and Emmanuel Ombugadu of the PDP (11,570 votes).
- The Backlash: Labour Party agents staged an immediate walkout at the Akwanga collation center. Former Information Minister Labaran Maku rejected the outcome as a “complete sham,” alleging that polling places completely bypassed the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machinery. The APC dismissed the complaints, citing Maku’s fading local popularity.
3. Ondo South Senatorial District
Former President of the Nigerian Medical Association, Prof. Francis Faduyile, easily won the zone for the APC by pulling 68,474 votes out of the 70,770 total ballots cast. Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa publicly praised the outcome, labeling it a direct reflection of trust in the academic’s legislative capacity.
4. Kano & Kebbi Victories
In Kano State, the ruling party secured a landslide win in the Dawakin Kudu/Warawa Federal Constituency, where its candidate Rabiu Shuaibu pulled 35,356 votes, completely outclassing opposition parties in what was a largely peaceful exercise. The party recorded a similar victory in Kebbi State.
The South-South Resistance: PDP Holds Rivers State
The narrative shifted completely in Rivers State, proving that the oil-rich region remains heavily resistant to external alignments.
| Candidate | Political Party | Total Votes Secured | Status |
| Olaka Nwogu | Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) | 46,961 | Declared Winner |
| Osarokaka E. Erewari | All Progressives Congress (APC) | 1,647 | Defeated |
The PDP’s Olaka Nwogu—a close ally of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike—comfortably retained the Rivers South-East Senatorial District seat across seven local government areas. Nwogu decimated his APC opponent, who struggled to secure fewer than 2,000 votes.
However, smaller parties are heading straight for the tribunals. Action Alliance (AA) candidate Dr. Douglas Fabeke and the Labour Party’s Kinani Sam both rejected the results. Fabeke openly accused the police and INEC officials of actively facilitating a rigged process, declaring it a negative metric ahead of the upcoming 2027 general elections. INEC’s local spokesperson, Geraldine Ekelemu, firmly denied the allegations, stating the commission met all structural obligations to deliver a clean election, while welcoming the aggrieved candidates to present their video evidence in court.
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