The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has hailed Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke’s weekend reelection victory as a definitive triumph for democracy and a manifestation of popular will. In a statement issued on Monday by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, the NDC commended the citizens of Osun State for turning out en masse to exercise their franchise and ensuring their votes truly counted. Director emphasized that the electoral outcome stands as a powerful testament to the people’s ability to successfully resist tyranny, civilian dictatorship, and deliberate attempts to subvert public will through the electoral process.

However, the opposition party strongly rebuked Governor Adeleke for his subsequent political maneuvering, specifically faulting his immediate decision to pledge support for President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election. While celebrating the governor’s democratic mandate, the NDC expressed deep dissatisfaction with this alignment, viewing it as a contradiction to the very democratic resistance his victory symbolized. By condemning the Tinubu endorsement while simultaneously praising the electorate’s resilience, the NDC highlighted a sharp divide between the voters’ mandate and the governor’s strategic political alliances.

He said the result was particularly significant because the people had demonstrated that even the use of federal power could not determine the outcome of an election when voters were determined to exercise their democratic rights.

“The victory of the Accord Party in the Osun State governorship election is a victory for democracy. It is a triumph of the people’s will over any authoritarian leadership,” he said.

“It is a befitting crowning of the dogged efforts of the great people of Osun who resisted tyranny, who resisted civilian dictatorship, who resisted oppression and refused to be silenced and insisted that their vote must count.”

Director also commended Adeleke for standing his ground in seeking re-election, saying the governor had insisted that he had the right to contest and be voted for by the people.

“I commend Governor Adeleke for standing firm to insist that he has the right to contest and be voted for by his people if that is their choice, and indeed, that is actually their choice and became their choice,” he said.

However, the NDC spokesman took exception to Adeleke’s reported pledge to deliver Osun State to Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election, describing the statement as premature and reflective of the interests of the political elite.

Director questioned whether such an endorsement was consistent with the sacrifices made by those who supported Adeleke’s re-election, particularly those who, according to him, lost their lives in the struggle surrounding the election.

“I am surprised that Adeleke is promising to deliver Osun to President Bola Tinubu come 2027 presidential election. I think that is too hasty of him to say,” he stated.

“He shows our elitist disposition. Political elites and ruling class are usually concerned about themselves.”

Osa Director strongly questioned the morality of the governor’s alignment, asking if the tragic loss of lives during the struggle for his electoral victory was now in vain. He urged Governor Adeleke to respect the sacrifices made by voters and refrain from assuming he has the political authority to simply “deliver” the entire state to a specific candidate for the 2027 presidential race. Instead, the NDC official insisted that the choice of the next president should be left entirely to the discretion of the citizens.

The NDC spokesperson pointed out that the recent Osun election serves as a clear demonstration of the limits of top-down political control. He argued that the outcome proved voters cannot be bought or coerced, noting that even the immense federal might deployed by the Tinubu administration ultimately failed to dictate the people’s choices at the polls. According to Director, this proves that political figures cannot micromanage or guarantee public behavior when voters are determined to exercise their independent will.

Concluding his critique, Director advised Governor Adeleke to quietly enjoy his own electoral success rather than attempting to influence the next national cycle. He emphasized that just as President Tinubu could not force his preferred outcome on the people of Osun, Adeleke likewise lacks the power to dictate how they will swing in 2027. The party leader maintained that the only democratic course of action is to let the electorate independently evaluate and decide who they will support in the upcoming presidential election.

Director also commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the conduct of the Osun election, while cautioning the electoral body against allowing the outcome to become an isolated improvement ahead of the 2027 general elections.

He said the NDC would hold INEC to the standard it had set with the Osun poll and urged the commission to ensure that the transparency witnessed in the election was sustained.

“I hope this is not going to be a flash in the pan on the part of INEC to make us lose our guard and think that come 2027 it will be this transparent,” he said.

“We are going to hold them to account to live up to this standard.”

The NDC spokesman also referenced INEC’s assurances on eliminating technical glitches associated with the electronic transmission of results and other electoral technologies, saying Nigerians expected the 2027 presidential election to be transparent, participatory, and credible.

“Kudos to Nigerians that we are at least moving towards the attainment of where elections are not a do-or-die affair and where the votes of the people count,” Director said.