OPINION
By Auwal Ahmed Ibrahim, Goronyo
The August 15 governorship election in Osun State has sent one clear message: the ballot belongs to the people. No conspiracy, no pressure, and no manipulation can cancel the decision of voters when they are determined.
According to my view, the poll was not just about APC versus Accord. It became a test of whether desperate political actors and compromised institutions could hijack the will of people.
In the build-up, other parties, led by the APC, boasted of an inevitable win. The APC Campaign Council declared that "defeat is imminent for the Accord Party in the August 15th 2026 poll" and insisted that "Adeleke’s strongholds have shifted for our favor". Party leaders also claimed "most of the backbones of the ruling party either PDP, ADC or Accord Party, they have ported and moved to our own winning camp". One chieftain even predicted a "landslide victory" and said the wave of defections in Olorunda and across the state would "make our victory in the August 15 election much easier".
But beyond the rhetoric, there were allegations of deliberate efforts to disrupt the process. Accord leaders accused opponents of planning to derail the election through intimidation and falsehood. The caretaker Chairman of Accord Party in Osun, Babalola Akande, described them as "politically displaced actors who, having been repeatedly rejected by the electorate, now resort to impersonation, falsehood, and institutional sabotage in a futile bid to return to power through the back door".
More troubling, in my opinion, were reports of security compromises. There were claims that some police officers were used to create confusion at collation points and to tilt results in favor of certain interests. The aim, according to observers on the ground, was to steal the mandate of the people by force rather than by votes.
The situation was worsened by an incident involving a member of the House of Representatives who was allegedly apprehended with a firearm around a polling area. For many voters, that incident confirmed their fears that some politicians were ready to use violence to overturn the people’s choice.
Despite all of this, Osun people resisted. They came out, voted, and protected their votes.
The reason, in my view, is simple: governance. Governor Ademola Adeleke, who first won in 2022 under the PDP and later moved to Accord, campaigned on record. Supporters of the administration pointed to tangible changes. They noted that "Osun’s ranking in national examination performance improved from 33rd under the immediate past administration to seventh under Adeleke". They also said "Governor Adeleke has prioritised workers’ welfare, restored consistency in salary payments, addressed arrears and brought back dignity to labour", in contrast to what they called the "half-salary disaster" of the APC era.
Accord also accused the opposition of trying to buy influence, alleging that "after almost four years in office, a government that has impoverished and pauperised thousands of Osun residents has reduced the same people to the point where they are willing to invoke severe curses upon themselves if they fail to support the Accord Party and Governor Adeleke at the polls". The party further claimed this mirrored an earlier "vote-inducement strategy in which civil servants... were handed a paltry ₦20,000 in what was clearly an attempt to purchase their conscience and secure their votes ahead of the August 15 election".
This is not new in Osun. In 2022, Senator Ademola Adeleke defeated the then incumbent APC governor, Gboyega Oyetola, with 403,371 votes to 375,027. That result "ended the APC’s 12-year hold on the state" and was later challenged in court, a fight that "continued into early 2023, contributing to ongoing political tensions".
The 2026 election has reinforced the same lesson. When politicians and their allies in and out of uniform try to destroy an election, when they deploy inducement, propaganda, or force, they underestimate the people.
Osun has changed. Workers are being paid. Schools are improving. Dignity is returning to public service. And voters have said they will reward performance, not noise.
The takeaway is clear. No party owns Osun. No gun, no police manipulation, and no House of Reps member with a weapon can override the mandate of the people. The only sustainable path to power is delivery, accountability, and respect for the voter. The aftermath of Osun has opened eyes for Nigerians it has shown that the citizens own the power and they are the architect of change, not any party even the serving power holders or the ruling party.
With this result, Nigeria can get ready to come out and vote for their favourite candidates in the general election. Osun has tested the power and the credibility of INEC. and just as the President, Bola Ahmad Tinubu said, Osun election should prove INEC readiness for the general election in 2027, the INEC has done its part, remains the part of the people for them to reject tauns, threat and money to induce their rights. Congratulations to the people of Osun for having Ademola Adeleke for second chance.
Auwal Ahmed Ibrahim, Goronyo is a lecturer at Kaduna Polytechnic
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