By Henry Umoru ABUJA — The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) has described the outcome of the Osun State governorship election as a political warning to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), saying the result demonstrated that voters could overcome political structures and incumbency when determined to exercise their franchise. National Chairman of the SDP, Prof. Sadiq Gombe, stated this on Monday in Abuja while presenting the party’s assessment of the August 15 governorship election. Gombe said the election had shown that Nigerians were increasingly prepared to use their votes to challenge what they considered poor governance, adding that the outcome had exposed the limits of incumbency, political influence and resources in determining electoral outcomes. According to him, the Osun election also provided important lessons for opposition political parties, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies and Nigerians ahead of the 2027 general elections. He said one of the most significant lessons from the election was that the distinction between “big” and “small” political parties mattered less when voters had made up their minds about their preferred candidate. “The people of Osun have taught Nigerians a great lesson,” Gombe said, arguing that electoral victory ultimately depended on voters’ confidence rather than the size or structure of a political party. ‘APC can be defeated’ Gombe said the Osun result should serve as a warning to the APC that its continued hold on power could not be taken for granted ahead of 2027. “It is a warning signal to the ruling party to know that they are not sacrosanct. They will be defeated,” he said. He said Osun voters remained resolute despite extensive mobilisation by political actors and the deployment of substantial resources, urging Nigerians in other states to draw lessons from the election. The SDP also used the outcome to question the effectiveness of the ongoing opposition coalition debate, noting that several opposition parties that had advocated a common front against the APC contested the Osun election separately. Gombe said that despite the absence of a single opposition candidate, voters were able to rally behind a candidate they believed could defeat the ruling party. He said the development raised questions about whether opposition parties necessarily needed to wait for elite-driven alliances before challenging the APC. According to him, the Osun electorate had demonstrated that voters could effectively create a coalition at the ballot box. “The people in themselves decided to say, ‘This is the way we are going to go. We will make sure the opposition wins the election,’” he said. The SDP chairman urged opposition leaders considering a 2027 alliance to place the national interest above personal political ambitions. He said the party’s presidential candidate, Prince Adewole Adebayo, possessed the competence, character and understanding required to lead Nigeria, adding that the SDP remained committed to building a broad “coalition of the Nigerian people.” Gombe said the objective was to unite Nigerians beyond ethnic, religious and regional considerations and promote leadership that placed the national interest above personal and sectional interests. SDP commends INEC Gombe commended INEC for its handling of the Osun election, saying the process had helped restore some confidence in the electoral system. He urged the INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, and the commission’s leadership to sustain what he described as the standard demonstrated during the election. Gombe said Nigerians, political parties and the international community would be watching the commission closely as the country approaches the 2027 general elections. “If INEC does the right thing, Nigerians need to come out in unison and applaud and encourage INEC so that they can be able to do what is right,” he said. However, the SDP raised concerns about the scale of security and administrative deployment during the Osun election and questioned whether a similar model could be replicated across the country during the 2027 general elections. Gombe noted that the 30 local government areas in Osun had significant security and administrative deployment, with senior police officers assigned to oversee the election. He questioned whether such a level of deployment would be feasible across the 774 local government areas during the general elections, stressing the need for urgent planning. The SDP chairman also expressed concern over the involvement of governor
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