Public affairs commentator, Mahdi Shehu, has described the recent Osun State governorship election as a wake-up call for voters in Northern Nigeria and other parts of the country, urging them to become more active and deliberate in exercising their electoral rights.
Shehu made the remarks in a post shared on X on Monday, where he argued that the outcome of the election demonstrated the ability of voters to resist political pressure, inducements and the influence of incumbency when they are determined to choose their preferred candidate.
According to him, the All Progressives Congress (APC) approached the election with the advantages associated with controlling the federal government and having access to significant political and material resources.
“APC, its state, local and federal mights were not in Osun to lose elections but to prove their supremacy and take advantage of their incumbency at the federal level,” he wrote.
Shehu said the ruling party deployed substantial resources and political influence in an effort to secure victory, but encountered voters who, according to him, had already made up their minds about what they wanted from the election.
He argued that the voters resisted attempts to influence their decisions through inducements, intimidation and what he described as last-minute promises.
“They met a thick wall erected by voters who had defined what they wanted and nothing short of it, no matter the inducement, intimidation and afterthought last-minute empty promises,” he said.
The commentator said the development should serve as a lesson to voters across Nigeria, particularly those in the North, whom he accused of sometimes allowing political sentiments, immediate economic needs and other considerations to influence their electoral choices.
He argued that voters in parts of the South had, in his assessment, become more cautious and deliberate when making electoral decisions.
Shehu maintained that a similar level of voter determination in Northern and South-Eastern states could produce different electoral outcomes and compel political leaders to become more responsive to the demands of citizens.
He therefore urged Northern voters and other Nigerians whom he described as “docile and timid” to learn from the Osun election and place their long-term interests above short-term political considerations.
“Hope Northern and other docile and timid voters will think, act, behave and vote wisely in their best interest,” Shehu said.
His comments come amid continued political realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections, with parties and political actors intensifying efforts to secure voter support across the country.