LABOUR suffered two shock defeats in Oldham but ended the night one up after staving off challenge from a resurgent UKIP, independents and new grassroots party.
The ruling group also celebrated electing its first female Bangladeshi councillor in Ruji Surjan in Coldhurst - despite a difficult local campaign which supporters said was mired in misogyny.
One seat in each of the borough's 20 wards was up for election, with 102 candidates standing.
But just under a third of residents went out to vote, with turnout overall standing at 32.95 per cent.
Labour lost a key seat in Failsworth East, with cabinet member for education Paul Jacques being defeated by independent Brian Hobin by a 521 majority.
Mr Jacques had won the seat in 2017 in a by-election after then-council leader Jim McMahon stepped down to become an MP.
New Councillor Hobin said he had no idea that he would be able to take the seat, but had campaigned strongly on local issues - including green belt development.
“It’s a first attempt and I didn’t think we would do as well as we have and I am amazed, and proud. It’s very humbling,” he said.
Labour also lost their grip on Saddleworth West and Lees, with Adrian Alexander being defeated by 283 votes by Liberal Democrat candidate Sam Al-Hamdani.
Council leader Sean Fielding said they were "three up, two down" overall.
"I think it's been a peculiar night across the borough, but it's not just here it's across the rest of the country as well," he said.
"We see smaller parties and independents doing better than people expected and that's just happened here in the same way.
"Paul is such an excellent and competent local councillor and has fabulous expertise in education which will be a loss to the council.
"Overall in terms of the size of the Labour group on the council, people have voted for a Labour administration with a large majority."
But he added that Labour had learned that they needed to be better at "broadcasting our message".
Mr Alexander’s defeat leaves the mayoralty in confusion.
As deputy mayor he had been due to take over from outgoing Mayor Javid Iqbal, and take on the chains of office at a full council meeting later this month.
However, with the line of succession broken, it’s not yet known how his replacement will be selected.
Labour managed to gain Coldhurst and Medlock Vale wards back from independent councillors who had been suspended from Labour.
Montaz Ali Azad and Kaiser Rehman had both stood again to try to keep their respective seats but were swept aside by new candidates Ruji Surjan and Mohammed Alyas.
Surjan’s victory of 2,031 votes means Coldhurst voters have elected their first ever female Bangladeshi councillor.
“I feel ecstatic to win, I’m very overwhelmed,” she said.
But the new councillor added she had encountered misogyny and personal attacks during the campaign both on social media and on the streets.
“I think I have proven that women can be at the forefront and women can make positive changes - and dirty politics won’t get you anywhere,” Coun Surjan said.
“I didn’t take no for an answer.”
UKIP, which had hoped to ride to victory on a wave of dissatisfaction over the Brexit negotiations failed to claw back a seat in the council chamber.
Despite fielding 14 candidates - up from none in last year's locals - they could not translate an upswell in votes into seats.
Overall the main opposition Liberal Democrats broke even, losing one seat but gaining another in Saddleworth West and Lees.
Full list of results from Oldham
ALEXANDRA WARD
Jenny Harrison (LAB )1,255
Muhammad Sarwar (IND) 417
Carl Sinderby (UKIP) 263
Martin Dinoff (LD) 128
Jawaad Hussain (CON) 106
CHADDERTON CENTRAL WARD
Eddie Moores (LAB) 1,180
Marian Goodwin (UKIP) 435
Mohammed Jahan (CON) 325
Jess Mahoney (GREEN) 256
Barbara Beeley (LD) 129
CHADDERTON NORTH WARD
Mohon Ali (LAB) 1,388
Tracy Woodward (IND) 936
Mohammad Alom (CON) 468
Chris Parr (GREEN) 188
John Hall (LD) 153
CHADDERTON SOUTH WARD
Graham Shuttleworth (LAB) 964
Jack Dickenson (UKIP) 482
Robert Barnes (CON) 390
Melodey Walker (GREEN) 123
Tabirul Islam (LD) 76
COLDHURST WARD
Ruji Surjan (LAB) 2,031
Montaz Azad (IND) 1,700
Kutub Uddin (LD) 537
Jean Betteridge (GREEN) 229
Md Miah (CON) 153
CROMPTON WARD
Louie Hamblett (LD) 1,233
Colin Jones (UKIP) 523
Phelyp Bennett (CON) 463
Alex Jones-Casey (LAB) 391
FAILSWORTH EAST WARD
Brian Hobin (IND) 1,347
Paul Jacques (LAB) 826
Antony Cahill (CON) 295
Alan Belmore (LD) 46
FAILSWORTH WEST WARD
Elaine Garry (LAB) 855
Warren Bates (IND) 711
Annette Evans (UKIP) 325
Michele Stockton (CON) 192
Andy Hunter-Rossall (GREEN) 191
Richard Darlington (LD )52
HOLLINWOOD WARD
Steve Williams (LAB) 990
Matthew Woods (UKIP) 457
Sajjad Hussain (CON) 123
Stephen Barrow (LD) 118
David Maybury (GREEN) 76
MEDLOCK VALE WARD
Mohammed Alyas (LAB) 1,346
Kaiser Rehman (IND) 992
Marcus Esbach (UKIP) 231
Philip Howarth (IND) 186
Neil Allsopp (CON) 128
Daniel Clayton (GREEN )83
Rachel Pendlebury (LD) 64
ROYTON NORTH WARD
Clint Phythian (LAB) 840
Allan Fish (CON) 674
Paul Goldring (UKIP) 573
Lina Shaw (GREEN) 219
Russell Gosling (LD) 168
ROYTON SOUTH WARD
Steven Bashforth (LAB) 1,014
Anthony Prince (UKIP) 549
Ian Bond (CON) 289
Jim Stidworthy (GREEN) 189
Ken Berry (LD) 143
SADDLEWORTH NORTH WARD
George Hulme (LAB) 704
Carl Roberts (SADF) 650
Luke Lancaster (CON) 592
John Eccles (LD) 567
Chris Green (UKIP) 255
Phil Sewell (IND) 188
SADDLEWORTH SOUTH WARD
Graham Sheldon (CON) 1,068
Brian Lord (LD)649
Duncan Goodman (SADF) 496
Connor Green (LAB) 466
Helen Bishop (IND) 435
Harry Moore (UKIP) 244
Alec Crook (IND) 51
SADDLEWORTH WEST & LEES WARD
Sam Al-Hamdani (LD) 953
Adrian Alexander (LAB) 670
Boots Errock (SADF) 660
Paul Taylor (UKIP) 280
Tom Lord (CON) 254
SHAW WARD
Chris Gloster (LD) 1,121
Ken Rustidge (LAB) 428
Rob Vance (UKIP) 318
Lisa Smirk (CON) 259
Catherine Hunter-Rossall (GREEN) 112
ST JAMES WARD
Angela Cosgrove (LAB) 634
Tony Martin (LD) 522
Colin Burrows (UKIP) 404
Amoy Lindo-Crooks (IND) 219
Atif Ali (CON) 124
Roger Pakeman (GREEN) 87
ST MARYS WARD
Nyla Ibrahim (LAB) 2,625
Miranda Meadowcroft (GREEN )177
Sean Curley (CON) 148
Pat Lord (LD) 132
WATERHEAD WARD
Peter Dean (LAB) 1,233
Linda Dawson (LD) 431
Max Woodvine (CON) 319
WERNETH WARD
Javid Iqbal (LAB) 1,877
Asghar Ali (IND) 1,610
Irfat Shajahan (GREEN) 151
Heath Fletcher (CON) 86
Keith Pendlebury (LD) 86
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