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The All Progressives Congress (APC) has offered a mixed self-assessment of its performance in the latest by-elections, rating its Enugu North showing as good while describing its Ondo South outing as unimpressive despite winning. The verdict reflects the party’s focus not just on results but on the size of its mandate.
INEC declared APC candidates winners in both senatorial contests, yet party officials say the numbers tell two very different stories about momentum and voter engagement.
How the by-elections went in Enugu
In the Enugu North Senatorial District by-election, the APC candidate recorded a commanding victory, polling well above his nearest rival from the Peoples Democratic Party. Party leaders pointed to the strong turnout and wide margin as evidence of growing support in a zone where the APC had previously struggled.
For a party seeking to expand its footprint in the South-East, the Enugu result carried symbolic weight. Officials framed it as proof that the APC can compete and win in parts of the region long seen as opposition strongholds.
Why Ondo was rated ‘unimpressive’
The picture in Ondo South was different. Although the APC candidate won comfortably, the party flagged the low voter turnout as a concern. In a district within the home zone of the state’s leadership, and with no strong opposition, far fewer ballots were cast than in previous senatorial elections.
Party officials said a victory built on a thin turnout is not the kind of result they want to celebrate. They acknowledged that mobilising voters, even in friendly territory, remains a challenge that the party must address ahead of bigger contests.
What the results signal
Analysts say by-elections often serve as a temperature check between major polls. Turnout, margins and the mood of voters offer clues about party organisation and public enthusiasm. The contrast between a high-energy Enugu contest and a quiet Ondo vote highlights how local factors shape outcomes.
Low participation can flatter or flatter to deceive. A win with few voters may signal apathy, complacency or fatigue, all of which parties watch closely as they plan future campaigns and candidate selection.
The road ahead for the parties
For the APC, the lesson is to convert structural advantages into genuine voter enthusiasm. For opposition parties, the results underline the difficulty of mounting strong challenges in off-cycle elections where attention and resources are limited.
INEC, meanwhile, continues to face questions about boosting participation and confidence in the process. Election observers have repeatedly urged stakeholders to invest in voter education and smooth logistics so that more citizens take part.
Civil society groups say the figures also carry a warning about voter apathy. When citizens stay away even from tightly contested seats, it weakens the link between leaders and the people they govern. Sustained voter education, they argue, is needed to rebuild trust and lift participation across the country.
As the dust settles on these by-elections, both winners and losers will study the figures carefully. The contests may be small in scale, but the signals they send about turnout and trust will echo into the next major round of voting in Nigeria.
