Voting for the Ibadan North Federal Constituency by-election began today, August 16, 2025, following the passing of Rep. Olajide Akinremi of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in July 2024. Early reports indicate a notably low voter turnout, with participation at many polling units falling far below expectations.
Despite the timely arrival of election officials and materials, many registered voters did not show up as scheduled. At Ward 6, Unit 6, for example, no voters had arrived by 8:26 a.m., while similar delays were observed in other units. Voting at some units only began around 9:00 a.m., reflecting widespread apathy among the electorate.
Adebayo Ruth Reporting for Solidstar News, spoke with a public affairs analyst, Inaolaji Akinloye, who visited several wards across Ibadan North. He confirmed the trend, stating that voter apathy is clearly evident in many areas, with very few residents coming out to cast their votes.
The election is being conducted across twelve electoral wards, with five political parties—APC, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), African Democratic Congress (ADC), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP)—competing for the vacant seat. A total of 217,980 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) have been collected, with 272,196 registered voters eligible to participate.
Security measures have been heightened, with visible presence of the Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and the Nigerian Army to ensure a peaceful election process.
As voting continues, the low turnout raises concerns about public engagement in the democratic process. Observers and stakeholders are closely monitoring the situation, awaiting the final results later in the day.
