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The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has described the victory of Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke in Saturday’s governorship election as a triumph of democracy and the will of the people but faulted his decision to pledge support for President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
The National Publicity Secretary of the NDC, Osa Director, said Adeleke’s victory demonstrated that the people could resist what he described as “tyranny”, “civilian dictatorship” and attempts to suppress their will through the electoral process.
Director, in his reaction to the outcome of the election on Monday, commended the people of Osun for turning out to exercise their franchise and insisting that their votes must count.
He said the result was particularly significant because the people had demonstrated that even the use of federal power could not determine the outcome of an election 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 that he had the right to contest and be voted for by the people.
“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 took exception to Adeleke’s reported pledge to deliver Osun State to Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election, describing the statement as premature and reflective of the interests of the political elite.
Director questioned whether such an endorsement was consistent with the sacrifices made by those who supported Adeleke’s re-election, particularly those who, according to him, lost their lives in the struggle surrounding the election.
“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 stated.
“He shows our elitist disposition. Political elites and ruling class are usually concerned about themselves.”
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He added, “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?”
According to Director, Adeleke should allow the people to determine their choice in the 2027 presidential election rather than assuming that he could “deliver” the state to a particular candidate.
He argued that the outcome of the Osun election itself had shown the limits of political control, stressing that even the federal might allegedly deployed by the Tinubu administration could not dictate how the people 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.”
Director also commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the conduct of the Osun election, while cautioning the electoral body against allowing the outcome to become an isolated improvement ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He said the NDC would hold INEC to the standard it had set with the Osun poll and urged the commission to ensure that the transparency witnessed in the election was sustained.
“I hope this is not going to be a flash in the pan on the part of INEC to make us lose our guard 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.”
The NDC spokesman also referenced INEC’s assurances on eliminating technical glitches associated with the electronic transmission of results and other electoral technologies, saying 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,” Director said.
