Osun election, preview of what to expect in 2027 – Kabiru Ojo
Political analyst Kabiru Ojo has described the outcome of the recently concluded Osun State governorship election as a warning to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Ojo said the election had demonstrated that the power of the people remained stronger than the influence of political office holders, security agencies and other state institutions.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Sunday declared the incumbent governor, Ademola Adeleke, re-elected for a second term.
Contesting on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Adeleke polled 511,067 votes to defeat his closest challenger, Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress, who secured 444,815 votes.
Speaking on the outcome of the poll in an exclusive interview with DAILY POST, Ojo commended INEC and, particularly, the people of Osun State for standing firm and resisting what he described as intimidation.
According to him, the development should give Nigerians hope that the 2027 election can be different if voters remain united and defend their votes.
He said the heavy presence of security personnel and political leaders in Osun before the election showed how important the poll was to the APC.
Ojo noted that about 16 serving APC governors and several senior security officers were deployed to the state.
He argued that the ruling party understood that the outcome of the election could have implications for the 2027 presidential election.
“What happened in Osun gives all Nigerians joy about how the 2027 presidential election will look. If Osun people can stand firm despite all the intimidation and difficulties, then Nigerians can also do the same in 2027,” he said.
The analyst said the election had also demonstrated that having governors, senators or other political office holders behind a candidate does not automatically guarantee electoral victory.
He added that voters must not only cast their ballots but also remain at polling units and follow the process until the final declaration of results.
“The masses have the power. The collective unity of the masses determines who will win the 2027 election,” Ojo said.
He also praised INEC for the conduct of the election, saying the acceptance of the result by defeated candidates was an important sign of what a credible election should look like.
Ojo said the willingness of the ADC candidate to accept defeat, including after losing his own polling unit, showed that political actors could accept the will of the electorate when the process was credible.
He urged Nigerians to learn from the Osun experience by remaining vigilant and protecting their votes in 2027.
According to him, the election had sent a message that Nigerians were increasingly willing to resist political and security intimidation when exercising their democratic rights.
“2027 is not about APC, ADC or any other political party. It is about the survival of Nigeria,” he said.
Ojo further predicted that the APC would face a difficult contest in 2027.
He argued that the economic hardship and policies of the present administration had created dissatisfaction among many Nigerians.
He said Nigerians would be looking for a leader capable of improving their living conditions and introducing policies that would bring relief to ordinary citizens.
“We need a leader who will have mercy on the masses and whose policies will bring succour to the people, not policies that will push Nigerians into abject poverty,” he said.
Ojo maintained that the Osun election had proved that political power ultimately belongs to the electorate, not political office holders.
