Follow Us on Google
From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja and George Onyejiuwa, Owerri
The opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Imo State has seized on the defeat suffered by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the August 15, 2026, Osun State governorship election to attack Governor Hope Uzodimma, urging him to return home and face the challenges of governance instead of “junketing” around the country on political assignments.
The Imo PDP’s position came as a coalition of opposition parties, youth organisations, socio-cultural groups and civil society organisations charged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Federal Government to build on the Osun election and ensure that the 2027 general elections are more transparent, credible and reflective of the will of voters.
The coalition, comprising the Action Peoples Party (APP), Arewa Consultative Youth Movement, Ohanaeze Youth Movement, Middle Belt Youth Forum, Oduduwa Consultative Youth Movement, PBAT Door-to-Door Movement and African Centre for Justice and Human Rights (ACJHR), also commended INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, President Bola Tinubu and security agencies for their roles in the Osun poll.
But while the coalition viewed the Osun election as an opportunity to strengthen Nigeria’s democratic process, the Imo PDP described the APC’s defeat as a warning to political leaders who rely heavily on political structures and high-profile campaign machinery without sufficiently connecting with voters.
Uzodimma had served as Chairman of the APC National Campaign Council for the Osun governorship election, leading a high-powered campaign structure that included several APC governors, senators and other national party leaders.
In a statement issued in Owerri yesterday, the Imo PDP Publicity Secretary, Lancelot Obiaku, said the outcome of the election showed that “elections are ultimately won by the people, not by the number of governors imported into a state.”
The party challenged Uzodimma to redirect his attention to Imo State, which it alleged was “largely ungoverned”, instead of devoting substantial time to political assignments outside the state.
The PDP recalled that Uzodimma had also chaired the APC National Campaign Council for the 2021 Anambra governorship election, where the party lost to Prof. Chukwuma Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
“Having now recorded two high-profile defeats in two assignments, perhaps the Governor should now consider that his greatest political assignment is not in Osun, Anambra or Abuja, but to face the challenge of governance right here in Imo State,” Obiaku said.
The party alleged that while the governor was involved in political activities outside Imo, several roads across the state had deteriorated, particularly during the rainy season.
It cited ring roads, bypasses, community roads and rural roads among infrastructure it claimed had either deteriorated or been abandoned, while alleging that some projects completed by the administration were already showing signs of failure.
The PDP also criticised the condition of public schools in the state, alleging that pupils and students were facing dilapidated facilities, inadequate learning materials and shortages of teachers.
It further raised concerns about insecurity, citing communities around Ihiagwa, Avu and other parts of the state, which it alleged had experienced activities by kidnappers and other criminal elements.
Other News
The party therefore urged Uzodimma to “return home and govern”, insisting that his primary responsibility was to the people of Imo State.
The PDP said: “They elected him to provide good roads, quality education, security, healthcare, jobs and an enabling environment for citizens to live and prosper.”
It also accused the governor of spending too much time lobbying for political positions and participating in political assignments outside the state.
However, the broader political debate arising from the Osun election has extended beyond the APC’s defeat, with opposition groups urging INEC to ensure that the lessons from the poll translate into concrete improvements ahead of 2027.
Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja, the APP National Chairman, who spoke on behalf of the coalition, said the credibility of an election should not be judged simply by its winner or loser but by whether voters genuinely believed they had an opportunity to determine their leaders.
“The most important achievement of any election is not necessarily who wins or who loses. It is whether the people believe that they had a genuine opportunity to determine their leadership through the ballot,” he said.
The coalition urged INEC to consolidate on the Osun experience and ensure that the 2027 elections were conducted with a higher standard of transparency, neutrality, professionalism and respect for the electorate.
“Osun has shown us what is possible. Now, Nigeria must build on it. There is therefore no justification for lowering the standard in 2027. Osun must not be an exception. Osun must become the benchmark,” the groups said.
They also called on security agencies to protect voters and electoral officials, rather than intimidate them, while urging INEC to review the conduct of the Osun election and address any shortcomings before the 2027 polls.
The coalition said every improvement in the credibility of elections would strengthen democracy, arguing that political leaders must be prepared to accept the will of voters when the results are declared.
The development has added a fresh political dimension to preparations for the 2027 general elections, with opposition parties increasingly using the Osun result to question the strength of the APC’s political machinery and to demand greater electoral safeguards.
For the APC, the Osun defeat represents a setback in one of the country’s politically significant states. For the opposition, however, the result is being presented as evidence that voters can override elaborate political structures when they are determined to make their choice at the ballot box.
With the 2027 elections approaching, the competing reactions have also underscored two central issues likely to dominate the political season: the ability of political parties to win and retain voter confidence, and the capacity of INEC and security agencies to guarantee an electoral process in which voters believe their votes will count.
