Osun election proves ruling party can lose under Tinubu without ‘sky falling’ – Sanwo-Olu

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, says the outcome of the 2026 Osun governorship election demonstrates that Nigeria’s democracy is becoming stronger under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Sanwo-Olu said even though the All Progressives Congress (APC) lost the Osun governorship election to the opposition, the development did not trigger any crisis, describing it as evidence of President Tinubu’s commitment to democratic principles.

The governor spoke on Thursday at the seventh annual lecture of Freedom Online, held at the Sheraton Hotel in Ikeja, Lagos, where he discussed Nigeria’s democracy and preparations for the 2027 general elections.

The August 15 election was won by Ademola Adeleke, the incumbent governor and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who defeated APC candidate Bola Oyebamiji by more than 60,000 votes.

Following the election, President Tinubu congratulated Adeleke on his victory and described his re-election as an assurance that democracy would continue to flourish under his administration.

Speaking at the event, Sanwo-Olu said the development was a departure from an era when opposition parties had little chance of defeating the ruling party in elections.

“There was a time in this country when ‘federal might’ was a phrase that a ruling party used without irony.

“Under this President, the ruling party can lose a state in the South-West in an election year, and the sky does not fall. That is what a maturing democracy looks like.

“This President is a lifelong democrat, and he means to leave behind a stronger democracy than he inherited, not only for Nigerians but as an example to a continent that badly needs one.”

Sanwo-Olu also highlighted reforms to Nigeria’s electoral system, including the Electoral Act 2022, the newly enacted Electoral Act 2026 and the increasing use of technology in voter verification and results transmission.

He, however, called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure it is fully prepared for the 2027 elections.

“INEC must be ready in every polling unit on the 16th of January and again on the 6th of February, and each of us has a duty to help it be ready,” he said.

The governor also warned political parties and candidates against actions capable of undermining the electoral process, stressing that no political victory was worth the loss of a Nigerian life.

“A mandate is only as strong as the process that produced it. No office in this land is worth the life of a single Nigerian and no victory won by the wrong means is a victory at all.”

On the role of governors in the 2027 elections, Sanwo-Olu said voters would judge state administrations based on their performance and delivery of promises.

“Voters may not be economists, but they are excellent accountants. They know whether their state built the road it promised. They know whether the primary health centre has a nurse in it. They will bring that ledger with them to the polling unit.”

He further urged the media to remain independent and hold political actors accountable, including those within the ruling party.

“I am not asking for a compliant press. A compliant press is of no use to a democracy; it flatters the powerful and abandons the public,” he said.

“I am asking for a rigorous press. Check the facts, mine included. Call out disinformation wherever it comes from, including from my own side.

“In the weeks ahead, the most dangerous lies will not come from newspapers. They will come from anonymous accounts and doctored videos, and you are the institution best placed to answer them.”