The All Progressives Congress (APC) has regained the Udu State Constituency seat in the Delta State House of Assembly, with its candidate, Okolosi Ator, securing a wide margin over the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Saturday’s bye-election.

Ator polled 8,724 votes to defeat the PDP candidate, Orugbo George Biatere, who garnered 214 votes, according to the result declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The margin between the two candidates was 8,510 votes.

The outcome restores the Udu seat to the APC after the constituency was plunged into a fresh election following the defection of its former representative, Collins Ogbetama, from the party to the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).

The Delta State House of Assembly had declared the seat vacant on June 30, paving the way for INEC to conduct the September 19 poll.

Ator’s victory formed part of a broader performance by the APC in the September 19 legislative bye-elections, with the party winning four of the five seats contested across Delta, Gombe, Kano and Bauchi states.

INEC’s published results for Udu show that results were expected from 265 polling units, with 261 uploaded at the time of the commission’s results display, representing a 98.5 per cent completion rate.

The election was one of five legislative bye-elections organised by INEC to fill vacancies created by different circumstances, including death, resignation, defection and movement of a former lawmaker to another elective position.

The Udu contest also comes ahead of the 2027 general elections, which INEC has scheduled to begin with the presidential and National Assembly polls on January 16, followed by governorship and State House of Assembly elections on February 6.

For the APC, the Udu result means the party now has its candidate occupying the seat that became vacant after its former lawmaker left its platform, while Ator assumes the legislative mandate following the bye-election.