…Adeleke’s victory has answered the critics, strengthened Nigeria’s democracy and challenged governors to allow the people’s mandate to prevail
..The people of Osun State have spoken, and they have spoken loudly.
By Olalekan Shoyinka
In an election that attracted enormous political attention because of its implications for the ruling All Progressives Congress, the influence of the Presidency and the political future of Nigeria, Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party has emerged victorious, defeating the APC candidate, Bola Oyebamiji.
The final collation showed Adeleke winning 19 of Osun State’s 30 Local Government Areas, while Oyebamiji won 11. Adeleke polled 511,067 votes, against Oyebamiji’s 444,811 votes, giving the Accord candidate a decisive margin of 66,256 votes.
This is not merely an election result. It is a powerful democratic statement.
It is also a moment that demands that we pause, reflect and acknowledge what this election says about Nigeria’s democracy under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Before the election, there were apprehensions in some quarters.
There were those who believed that an opposition candidate could not possibly defeat the ruling party in Osun State because of the political importance of the state to the President and the wider Yoruba political establishment.
There were also those who believed that the enormous influence of the Federal Government and the APC political structure would inevitably translate into an APC victory.
But democracy has now spoken.
The people voted.
The votes were collated.
An opposition candidate won.
And the world witnessed it.
For me, this is one of the most significant aspects of the Osun election.
President Tinubu has demonstrated that being President does not necessarily mean that every election must be won by the President’s political party.
That is an important distinction.
A President does not become a weaker leader because an opposition party wins an election under his watch.
Rather, when the process is allowed to work and the people are allowed to choose freely, the President demonstrates confidence in democracy and in the institutions of the Nigerian state.
THE PRESIDENT’S BIGGEST VICTORY MAY NOT BE APC’S VICTORY
Politics is usually measured in terms of victories and defeats.
A political party wins an election and celebrates. Another party loses and begins to analyse what went wrong. But there is another form of victory that is bigger than partisan victory – That is the victory of democracy.
President Tinubu’s greatest political achievement from the Osun election should not be measured by whether APC won or lost. It should be measured by whether the people were allowed to determine who would govern them.
And the answer, based on the final outcome, is clear: An opposition candidate has won.
That fact alone should send a powerful message to those who doubted whether such an outcome was possible.
OSUN HAS SHAMED THE POLITICAL PROPHECIES OF DOOM
Some of the predictions surrounding the election were based on the assumption that political power must automatically translate into electoral victory.
But democracy does not work that way.
The people may listen to politicians.
They may attend rallies.
They may collect campaign materials.
They may even praise politicians publicly.
But when they enter the polling booth, the final decision belongs to them. That is the beauty of democracy.
Osun has reminded us that political influence cannot permanently substitute for popular acceptance.
The electorate can surprise the most powerful political strategists.
They can reject the most heavily mobilised political structure.
They can choose a candidate whom the political establishment does not expect to win.
And when that happens, democracy has spoken.
PRESIDENT TINUBU SHOULD TAKE A BOW FOR THIS MOMENT
I therefore commend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for allowing this democratic process to unfold.
This commendation does not mean that every aspect of the election was perfect. Reports of operational challenges, allegations of vote-buying, violence and other electoral infractions must still be properly investigated wherever credible complaints exist. The Centre for Democracy and Development described the election as largely peaceful but also noted operational challenges.
But we must not allow those imperfections to obscure the larger democratic lesson.
The most important question is whether the people could vote and whether their votes ultimately determined the outcome.
In Osun, the opposition has won.
And that should be celebrated as a positive development for Nigerian democracy.
THE PRESIDENT HAS SHOWN THAT THE YORUBA PEOPLE ARE NOT POLITICAL MONOLITHS
There is another lesson that must not be lost – Being Yoruba does not mean belonging to one political party.
Being from the same region as a political leader does not mean that the electorate must support that leader’s political party.
The Yoruba political space has always been politically sophisticated, intellectually vibrant and fiercely democratic.
We have historically produced politicians who disagreed with one another passionately but understood that political disagreement was part of democratic life.
Therefore, nobody should ever suggest that because Osun is a Yoruba state, the people must automatically vote for the political party of a Yoruba President for another political position.
Yoruba people are free citizens before they are partisan supporters.
Their votes belong to them.
Their conscience belongs to them.
Their political choices belong to them.
And Osun has demonstrated that reality.
ADELEKE’S VICTORY IS ALSO A MESSAGE TO THE APC
The victory of Governor Ademola Adeleke should equally serve as a lesson to our party – the APC.
It is not enough to have a powerful national structure.
It is not enough to have governors, ministers, legislators and political heavyweights campaigning for a candidate.
Ultimately, the electorate decides.
The APC’s candidate won 11 LGAs and performed strongly in several areas, demonstrating that the contest was genuinely competitive. But Adeleke’s 19-LGA victory and 66,256-vote statewide margin ultimately settled the contest in his favour.
The message should therefore not be one of bitterness. It should be one of reflection.
– Where did APC lose the confidence of enough voters?
– What did the people want that they did not see?
– What lessons can the party learn before the next election?
That is how mature political parties behave.
THE PEOPLE HAVE ALSO SENT A MESSAGE TO GOVERNORS
Perhaps the most important lesson from Osun is for our state governors.
If the Federal Government can preside over a political environment in which an opposition party wins a strategically important governorship election, then governors must also have the confidence to allow genuine political competition at the grassroots.
This is particularly relevant to State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs).
For years, Nigerians have expressed concerns about the credibility and independence of many local government elections conducted by SIECs.
In several states, there is a widespread perception that the ruling party enters local government elections with an almost guaranteed advantage.
That perception is unhealthy for democracy. Local government elections should not be treated as mere political coronations.
They should be genuine contests.
Let the opposition campaign.
Let candidates debate.
Let voters make their choices.
Let the ballot boxes be protected.
Let results be transparently announced.
And, most importantly: LET THE PEOPLE’S VOTES COUNT.
A governor who is confident about his administration should not be afraid of an opposition local government chairman.
A governor who believes his party has performed well should not fear an opposition councillor.
A government that genuinely enjoys the support of the people should be willing to test that support at the ballot box.
If the people choose the ruling party, so be it. If they choose the opposition, so be it – That is democracy.
The true test of leadership is not whether you can prevent your opponents from winning.
The true test is whether you can allow them to win when the people choose them.
Political power should be strong enough to accept defeat.
FROM OSUN TO OGUN AND BEYOND
As someone writing from Abeokuta South Local Government, Ward 5, I believe this lesson is particularly relevant to us in Ogun State.
Our democracy must not end at the national and state levels.
– It must penetrate the wards.
– It must reach the polling units.
– It must reach our communities.
– It must reach our local governments.
– The people at the grassroots must feel that their votes have meaning.
A voter should not walk into a polling unit believing that the outcome has already been predetermined.
That is how political apathy grows.
That is how citizens lose confidence in democracy.
And that is how democracy becomes an empty ritual.
THE PRESIDENT HAS SET A STANDARD
President Tinubu now has an opportunity to make the Osun experience part of his democratic legacy.
He should encourage the Independent National Electoral Commission to continue strengthening electoral credibility.
He should encourage political actors to accept legitimate outcomes. And, perhaps most importantly, he should encourage state governors and SIECs to embrace genuine competition in local government elections.
The message should be simple:
– No political party should be guaranteed victory before the people vote.
– Let the people decide.
IN OSUN, THE REAL WINNER IS DEMOCRACY
This morning, Accord supporters are celebrating. APC supporters are disappointed.
That is normal.
But beyond the party colours, Nigeria should celebrate something bigger.
An incumbent governor has been challenged.
The ruling party has contested.
An opposition party has won.
And the people have exercised their sovereign democratic power.
That is what democracy is supposed to look like.
The election also reminds us that no political office is the private property of any individual or political party.
Power belongs to the people.
They lend it to politicians through elections.
And they retain the constitutional right to take it back.
I congratulate Governor Ademola Adeleke on his victory. I congratulate the people of Osun State for making their voices heard. I congratulate all political parties and candidates who participated in the contest.
I commend INEC, security agencies, observers, journalists and other stakeholders who contributed to the electoral process.
And I congratulate President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for allowing democracy to have its way.
Mr. President, your critics expected you to prove your political strength by ensuring that your party won.
But perhaps you have demonstrated something more profound: That political strength is not the ability to control every outcome; it is the confidence to allow the people to determine the outcome.
That is statesmanship.
A CHALLENGE TO EVERY GOVERNOR
To every governor in Nigeria, particularly those who will conduct local government elections through SIECs, I say:
– Borrow a leaf from Osun.
– Do not be afraid of opposition.
– Do not be afraid of independent-minded voters.
– Do not be afraid of genuine competition.
– Do not turn local government elections into appointments disguised as elections.
– Let candidates compete.
– Let citizens choose.
– Let votes be counted.
– Let results be announced transparently.
– And when the people speak, respect their voice.
Because tomorrow, the same people may choose you. And the day after tomorrow, they may choose someone else.
That is the price — and the beauty — of democracy.
POWER IS TEMPORARY.
OFFICE IS TEMPORARY.
POLITICAL PARTIES ARE TEMPORARY.
BUT THE PEOPLE’S MANDATE IS SACRED.
Osun has spoken.
The people have chosen.
And Nigeria must listen.
LET THE PEOPLE CHOOSE.
LET THE VOTES COUNT.
LET DEMOCRACY WIN.
Chief Olalekan A. Shoyinka (Ayinla Egba),
Convener, United Premier Movement (UPM)
Writes from Abeokuta South Local Government, Ward 5
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