Politics
Osun voters have handed Nigeria’s political class a striking lesson on performance, grassroots strength and the limits of opposition division
The results of last Saturday’s governorship election in Osun State will be studied in political science classes for years to come.
Also read: Tinubu Calls Adeleke Over Osun Account Freeze, Explains EFCC Directive Amid Rising Tension
Not because it was the first, or the last, but because it was a masterclass in what still works in Nigerian democracy: the resilience of the people, and the power of their will.
While the final declaration by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been made, the real winner in Osun was not just a party or a candidate.
It was a message. And parties and politicians across the country would be wise to take notes ahead of the 2027 general elections.
1. Resilience beats money and machinery
Osun 2026 reminded us that elections are not won on billboards and bullion vans alone. They are won in the minds of voters who have suffered, hoped, and waited.
In the last four years, Osun people watched governance up close. They judged performance not by press releases, but by salaries paid, roads fixed, schools reopened, and dignity restored.
Lesson for opposition: You cannot buy back trust you lost yesterday with cash you spray today. Resilience means staying with the people between elections, not just during campaigns. The party that was on the streets in 2024 was trusted in 2026.
2. The people’s will remains the final court
Despite the noise, the threats, and the last-minute maneuvering, Osun people voted, and their votes counted. From Ilesa to Iwo, from Ede to Osogbo, voters turned out not just to elect a governor, but to protect their voice.
This is critical. When citizens believe their votes matter, they defend their ballots. When they believe politicians only remember them every four years, they withdraw.
Lesson for politicians: The Nigerian voter is no longer a spectator. They are editors of our political story. Ignore their welfare and they will edit you out in the next chapter.
3. Grassroots structure still wins elections
What decided Osun was not just social media trends. It was ward-to-ward, polling-unit-to-polling-unit work. It was the party agent who knew every voter by name. It was the local leader who could say “we were here when there was no camera”.
Big rallies make headlines. Small meetings make victories.
Lesson for opposition: 2027 will not be won from Abuja. It will be won in 176,846 polling units. Parties must rebuild from the ward up. Invest in people, not just influencers.
4. What Osun means for 2027
Osun 2026 is a signal flare for 2027. Three things stand out:
1. Performance is the new propaganda: Nigerians are tired of promises. They want receipts. Any party going into 2027 without a scorecard will struggle.
2. Unity is non-negotiable: Where the opposition was divided in Osun, they lost. Where they coordinated, they competed. For 2027, ego must take a back seat to strategy.
3. INEC and the people must protect the process: The relative credibility of the Osun process boosted turnout. If Nigerians believe the system is fair, they will participate. If not, apathy wins.
Conclusion: The ball is in our court
Osun has spoken. The lesson is clear: Nigeria’s democracy is maturing. Voters are rewarding work, punishing arrogance, and demanding accountability.
For opposition parties, Osun is both a warning and a blueprint; a warning that entitlement is dead, a blueprint that when you serve, listen, and organise, the people will stand with you.
For politicians, the message is simpler: Leadership is a contract, not a coronation.
As we look toward to 2027, one question should guide every party meeting, every campaign strategy, every policy document:
“What did we learn from Osun?”
Also read: Ehi Braimah urges peaceful voting in Osun
If we learn well, Nigeria wins. If we don’t, the people will teach us again.
Politics
Governor Dauda Lawal Signs Peace Accord Ahead of 2027 Elections, Reaffirms Commitment to Peaceful Poll
Zamfara State Governor, Dr Dauda Lawal, has signed a peace accord ahead of the 2027 general elections, reaffirming the importance of peaceful political participation, mutual respect, and democratic responsibility.
The signing, which took place at the invitation of the Nigeria Police at its headquarters in Gusau Zamfara State, brought together all candidates contesting in the forthcoming elections. Speaking to newsmen after the exercise, Governor Lawal described himself as a peace-loving person and expressed satisfaction with the process, expressing optimism that the 2027 election would be violence-free.
“We need to understand where we are and the responsibility on us that are running for the election,” the Governor said.
He advised youths to stay clear of violence and warned them against allowing themselves to be used as tools by politicians to foment chaos during the election season.
“It is important to know that violence is not the way forward; going round carrying weapons is not the way forward. We should be able to conduct ourselves peacefully during the campaign and election period,” he said.
Governor Lawal also appealed to politicians across the country to remain law-abiding, noting that doing so makes the electoral process seamless.
As political activities gather momentum, the message from the signing remains clear: political competition must never come at the expense of peace, unity and the safety of citizens. Zamfara, according to the Governor’s camp, deserves an election defined by ideas, credible processes, and the will of the people not violence, intimidation or division.
The Governor’s supporters expressed optimism that his achievements will speak for him, stressing that good governance and the dividends of democracy should never be taken for granted. They argued that Zamfara needs continuity to consolidate the gains already made and sustain the progress being recorded across the state.
A group, the Imo First Group (IFG) has described the purported Magistrate court order to arrest Senator Ifeanyi Araraume and the former governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, over alleged criminal conspiracy and forgery, as a ruse and fake news
The group stated this in a statement issued on Saturday in Abuja.
IFG challenged those peddling the fake news to make the court order public.
The statement reads ” The fabricated and concocted story was first posted on social media by Hon. Ambrose Nwaogwugwu, a media aide to Governor Hope Uzodimma, before it was picked up by other media outfits, including Arise TV.
According to the statement, those behind the report claimed that a Senior Magistrate Court sitting in Abuja issued a Bench Warrant dated September 9, 2026, following a petition written by the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Imo State, Barr. Chukwuemeka Ibejiako, to the Police and DSS on October 8, 2026, over alleged presentation of fake APC primary results.
The Group debunked the existence of any such order.
“We want to state categorically and unequivocally that no jSenior Magistrate ordered or issued any bench warrant for the arrest of Araraume”
IFG however challenged anyone in possession of the purported court order to publish it.
“If you claim to have a court order present same for the public to see,
“This fabricated bench warrant contain in the report is filled with inconsistencies, the bench warrant was dated September 9, 2026, while the REC’s petition that supposedly triggered it was dated October 8, 2026, with case number CR/M/084/2026.
The statement further stated that the purveyors and harbinger of the fake news tried to trick the magistrate via exparte order but was rebuked
“The magistrate bluntly refused to grant their exparte and threatened to arrest them, yet they carried their falsehood about. What’s the problem of occupants of office that never won free and fair elections and tried to destroy reputable Imo sons that have won elections. We challenge anyone in this macabre surugede dance to show the court order or warrant of arrest. It’s preposterous to blackmail decent Imo sons on the altar of dirty politics.”
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