Ifeoluwa Ehindero, the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), is in early lead in Saturday’s bye-election in the Akoko NorthEast/NorthWest Federal Constituency of Ondo State.

Some results of the election conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) have already been declared in the polling units and ward collation centres. 

The result shows that Mr Ehindero led with 16,439 votes in Akoko North East. The PDP candidate Olalekan Bada is coming behind with 7,934 votes, according to the results sorted so far by INEC. 

INEC had announced that no less than eight political parties fielded candidates for the exercise conducted in 329 polling units of the constituency.

Amid tight security, there was a large turn-out of voters who trooped out to cast their votes in the election, which the security agents monitored.

The security agencies, which included the Nigeria Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Nigerian Army, were manning strategic locations in the two federal councils during the exercise. 

Addressing journalists earlier, the INEC National Commissioner supervising Osun, Ogun and Ondo State, Kunle Ajayi, had lauded the turnout of voters in the bye-election, stressing that the exercise was peaceful. 

The by-election in Akoko NorthEast/NorthWest Federal Constituency was conducted to fill the seat vacated by Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, the Minister of Interior appointed by President Bola Tinubu.