The ruling All Progressives Congress’ defeat in the Osun governorship election, according to Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, is proof that democracy is becoming more deeply ingrained in Nigeria.
Sanwo-Olu made the comments on Thursday at Freedom Online’s seventh annual lecture at the Sheraton Hotel in Ikeja, Lagos, where he discussed Nigeria’s democratic development and election preparations for 2027, according to PM News.
He claimed that President Bola Tinubu’s dedication to democratic values was demonstrated by the August 15 Osun governorship election, which was won by Governor Ademola Adeleke of a different political party.
Bola Oyebamiji, the APC candidate, lost to Adeleke by a margin of more than 60,000 votes.
He said, “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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“I am not asking for a compliant press,” Sanwo-Olu said.
“A compliant press is of no use to a democracy; it flatters the powerful and abandons the public.
“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.”
With the growing discontent among the populace suggests that APC could potentially lose in many states without much resistance. With people increasingly fed up with the government’s inefficiencies and the widespread suffering they endure, voters may choose to shift their support in the upcoming elections. This mood of frustration and disappointment could lead to a significant political change across multiple states, signaling a desire for new leadership and better governance.
