The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has congratulated Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, on his re-election, describing the outcome of Saturday’s governorship election as a victory for democracy and the people of the state.
Reacting to the election result, the National Publicity Secretary of the NDC, Osa Director, said Adeleke’s victory demonstrated that voters could resist what he described as “tyranny,” “civilian dictatorship” and attempts to suppress their will through the electoral process.
Director commended Osun residents for turning out to exercise their franchise and insisting that their votes must count.
He said the result was particularly significant because it showed that the deployment of federal power could not determine an election outcome when voters were determined to exercise their democratic rights.
“The victory of the Accord Party in the Osun State governorship election is a victory for democracy. It is a triumph of the people’s will over any authoritarian leadership,” he said.
“It is a befitting crowning of the dogged efforts of the great people of Osun who resisted tyranny, who resisted civilian dictatorship, who resisted oppression and refused to be silenced and insisted that their vote must count.”
Director also commended Adeleke for standing his ground in seeking re-election, saying the governor had insisted on his right to contest and allow the people to decide whether to return him to office.
“I commend Governor Adeleke for standing firm to insist that he has the right to contest and be voted for by his people if that is their choice, and indeed, that is actually their choice and became their choice,” he said.
However, the NDC spokesman criticised Adeleke’s stated willingness to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Director described the governor’s reported readiness to support Tinubu as premature and reflective of what he called the interests of the political elite.
“I am surprised that Adeleke is promising to deliver Osun to President Bola Tinubu come 2027 presidential election. I think that is too hasty of him to say,” he said.
He questioned whether such an endorsement was consistent with the sacrifices made by people who supported Adeleke’s re-election.
“It shows our elitist disposition. Political elites and ruling class are usually concerned about themselves,” Director said.
“If you think of those who died in the process to ensure that he gets the victory he desired, is he saying that they should die in vain?”
Director urged Adeleke to allow Osun voters to independently determine their choice in the 2027 presidential election rather than assume that the state could be “delivered” to a particular candidate.
He argued that the outcome of the governorship election had demonstrated the limits of political control, maintaining that even the federal power allegedly deployed by the Tinubu administration could not dictate how Osun residents voted.
“Also, in any case, he cannot determine what the people will do. Just like Bola Tinubu, with all the federal might, could not determine what the Osun people were going to do,” he said.
“So let him just savour his victory and allow the people in Osun State to decide who they are going to vote for in the presidential election in 2027.”
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Director also commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for its handling of the Osun governorship election.
He, however, cautioned the electoral body against allowing the performance to become an isolated improvement ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The NDC spokesman said his party would hold INEC to the standard it had set during the Osun poll and urged the commission to sustain the transparency witnessed during the election.
“I hope this is not going to be a flash in the pan on the part of INEC to make us lose our guards and think that come 2027 it will be this transparent,” he said.
“We are going to hold them to account to live up to this standard.”
Director also referenced INEC’s assurances concerning the elimination of technical glitches associated with electronic transmission and other electoral technologies.
He said Nigerians expected the 2027 presidential election to be transparent, participatory and credible.
“Kudos to Nigerians that we are at least moving towards the attainment of where elections are not a do-or-die affair and where the votes of the people count,” he said.