The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), G100, the Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC) and the Allied People’s Movement (APM) have described Governor Ademola Adeleke’s victory in the August 15 Osun governorship election as a major lesson for Nigeria’s opposition ahead of the 2027 elections.
The groups, in separate statements issued on Sunday, congratulated Adeleke and the people of Osun State, while praising voters for turning out to exercise their democratic rights despite tensions and reported incidents surrounding the election.
The statements also focused on the role of opposition cooperation, voter mobilisation and the protection of ballots, with the groups arguing that the Osun result offers lessons that could shape the 2027 contest.
The PDP, in a statement titled “Osun Elections: A Foreshadow of 2027 Elections”, described Adeleke’s victory as a rejection of the political machinery it said was deployed by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to win the state.
The statement, signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, said the result was “a clear message from Nigerians in Osun State about what the 2027 elections will be.”
The PDP said the outcome reflected “a high cost of strong will, vigilance and resistance by the people of Osun State against the entire rigging machinery of the ruling All Progressives Congress, who were desirous of winning the state at all costs.”
It alleged that the APC had sought to secure the state through intimidation and other measures, pointing to what it described as “the unceasing intimidation, assault and arrests of opposition politicians”.
The party also criticised the conduct of some national institutions during the election.
“We must warn that the failure of national institutions to maintain unambiguous neutrality is dangerous and anti-democratic,” the PDP said.
It further alleged “the manifest partiality of security agencies, especially the police”, as well as what it described as “the shameful intervention by the EFCC freezing the accounts of the state”.
The PDP also criticised what it described as an intentional delay in releasing the results from polling units.
According to the party, the conduct of some institutions represented “actions that are not just condemnable but are actions capable of derailing democracy.”
While praising Osun voters, the PDP warned Nigerians not to assume that the outcome had settled the battle ahead of 2027.
“While we commend the resilience of the electorate in Osun, we urge Nigerians not to rest on their oars as the 2027 elections approach,” the statement said.
The party added: “Nigerians must vote, protect and defend their votes.”
The PDP said the APC and its allies could learn from their failure in Osun, but warned that Nigerians must remain vigilant to prevent any attempt to undermine the electorate’s choice.
The party then framed the Osun result as an early indication of what could happen in the next general election.
“Overall, the result from Osun is an advance payment by Nigerians against the APC, the balance will come in 2027, when Nigerians will send packing the most ineffective and destructive political class in the history of Nigeria, post-independence,” it said.
The party concluded that election results must reflect the choices made by voters rather than the interests of political actors.
“Election results must be reflective of the wishes of the people freely expressed through the ballot and not the enforcement of the whims and caprices of a privileged minority of oppressors,” the PDP said.
The G100 also drew a direct link between the Osun result and the 2027 elections, saying the outcome had demonstrated how opposition parties could overcome fragmentation.
“The significance of what has happened in Osun goes far beyond the re-election of one Governor. Osun has provided a template for 2027,” the group said.
According to G100, the opposition’s major weakness is not a lack of popular support but its inability to unite around common objectives.
“For weeks now, the G100 has argued that Nigeria’s opposition does not suffer from a shortage of popular support. Its greatest challenge is fragmentation,” it said.
The group said the Osun election had shown what could happen when opposition forces set aside individual ambitions and consolidate their support behind one candidate.
“Osun has now demonstrated, in practical terms, what becomes possible when opposition forces recognise a common objective, make the necessary compromises and consolidate their strengths behind a viable democratic choice,” G100 said.
It also praised opposition candidates who stepped down and supported Adeleke, describing their decision as an example of putting the wider democratic interest ahead of individual political ambitions.
The group said opposition leaders must now consider whether they are prepared to make similar compromises ahead of 2027.
“Nigeria is bigger than any candidate, any ambition and any political party,” it said.
G100 added: “If opposition leaders genuinely believe that the country requires a different direction in 2027, then they must demonstrate the same courage, restraint and willingness to compromise that has now produced this outcome in Osun.”
The group ended its statement with a call for the cooperation witnessed in Osun to be replicated nationally.
“Osun has shown the pathway. The task now is to take that spirit of cooperation to the national stage,” it said.
IPAC, the umbrella body of registered political parties in Nigeria, also described Adeleke’s victory as a victory for democratic rule.
In its statement, signed by its National Chairman, Dr Yusuf Mamman Dantalle, IPAC congratulated Adeleke and the people of Osun State, saying the result represented “a victory for democracy and the rule of law.”
The council also praised what it described as the people’s commitment to constitutional governance despite the difficult conditions surrounding the election.
IPAC said the people of Osun had demonstrated their determination to resist attempts to influence the outcome of the poll.
“The victory of Accord in this election is sweet music in the ears of all lovers of democracy in Nigeria,” it said.
The council added that the result showed what could happen when citizens resist what it described as “anti-democratic forces”.
IPAC also condemned alleged political violence and interference by federal institutions before the election and said it had demanded a free, fair, credible, transparent and inclusive poll.
It said the final outcome demonstrated that voters had exercised their constitutional power through the ballot.
“Today, the people of Osun State have spoken with their votes and chose their governor. This is democracy in action,” IPAC said.
The council urged all stakeholders to respect the result and commended INEC, security agencies, civil society organisations, election observers and the international community for their roles in the election.
It said it would continue to work towards creating an environment for credible elections and strengthening public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral system.
The APM also congratulated Adeleke and the people of Osun, describing the result as “a triumph of the will of the people over the rule of might that has brightened the nation’s democratic landscape.”
The party praised Osun voters for turning out despite what it described as political tension before the election.
“APM congratulates the people of Osun State for defying the political tension ahead of the election to vote for their preferred candidate, and protected their votes. It’s the beauty of democracy,” it said.
APM said the election had tested Nigerians’ commitment to democratic governance, particularly against the backdrop of reported political violence.
“The unprecedented political violence in the election tested the resolve, commitment and dedication of Nigerians to democratic governance,” the party said.
It added: “Its success is a testament to citizens’ enormous capacity to resist reactionary forces that wanted to influence and truncate the election.”
The three groups therefore presented the Osun election as more than a state-level contest, linking the result to the wider political battle ahead of 2027.
While the PDP framed the victory as an “advance payment” against the APC, G100 focused on opposition cooperation as a model for 2027, while IPAC and APM stressed the importance of voters’ determination and the protection of democratic choice.
Together, the statements placed opposition unity, voter participation and electoral integrity at the centre of the political lessons emerging from the Osun governorship election.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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