By Olugbolade Ogboro-Cole
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC ) has officially cleared the winners of the intense June 20, 2026, bye-elections to take their seats in the hallowed chambers of public service.
In a high-profile ceremony held at the Commission’s headquarters on Tuesday, Certificates of Return were presented to successful candidates spanning Rivers, Enugu, Nasarawa, Ondo, and Kano states. Standing in for the INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, the National Commissioner supervising Rivers State, Mrs. May Agbamuche-Mbu, formally handed over the credentials.
This presentation marks the legal conclusion of a rigorous polling exercise where Bimodal Voter Accreditation System technology and tight security frameworks ensured the sanctity of the ballot across the federation.
With these certificates now in hand, the newly elected lawmakers are legally cleared to be sworn into their respective legislative houses and public offices.
Prominent among the newly credentialed leaders is Prof. Francis Adedayo Faduyile, OON, who emerged victorious in the Ondo South senatorial bye-election. The academic and medical titan is not just entering public service, but is bringing an elite pedigree of science, administration, and governance to the legislative floor.
He currently serves as a Professor of Pathology and Forensic Medicine at the Lagos State University College of Medicine and as an Honorary Consultant at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital.
Prof. Faduyile boasts a heavy academic arsenal that began with an MBBS from the University of Lagos in 1996, followed by an MBA from the Federal University of Technology, Akure in 2005. He pushed his academic boundaries further with an MSc in Cell Biology and Genetics from the University of Lagos in 2008 and attained a Doctor of Medicine in Pathology from the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria in 2021.
His global expertise is anchored by a Diploma in Cancer Pathology from the National Cancer Institute in the United States and a Diploma in Forensic Human Identification from the Royal College of Physicians in the United Kingdom.
Before his journey to the legislative chambers, Faduyile commanded major leadership structures within the medical community. He served with distinction as the National President of the Nigerian Medical Association from 2018 to 2020, after previously leading the Lagos State Chapter as Chairman from 2012 to 2014. His administrative capacity was further proven during his tenure as the Head of Department of Pathology and Forensic Medicine at LASUCOM from 2016 to 2018, and as President of the Association of Resident Doctors at LUTH from 2006 to 2007.
Faduyile is equally no stranger to state governance and national development, having recently shaped regional healthcare frameworks as the Special Adviser on Health Matters to the Governor of Ondo State from 2022 to 2024. He also extended his administrative footprint as the Chairman of the Governing Council of the Federal College of Education,Kontagoa.
