Governor Ademola Adeleke’s victory in the Osun State governorship election has triggered a mix of congratulations, calls for stronger opposition and fresh concerns over the credibility of Nigeria’s electoral process.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Adeleke of the Accord Party winner of Saturday’s poll, handing him a second term after a closely watched contest with the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Oyebamiji.
Reports say Adeleke won 19 of the state’s 30 local government areas.
Reacting to the outcome, Cecilia Omonya Adams, a Nigerian lawyer, politician, and senatorial aspirant from Cross River State who contested under the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Cross River North Senatorial District in the 2026 primary, congratulated Adeleke, describing the result as a positive development for Nigeria’s democracy.
Adams, a former member of the national Constitution and Electoral Reform Committee (CERC) in an exclusive chat with BusinessDay however, said the election should also serve as a wake-up call to opposition parties, ahead of the 2027 general election.
‘Democracy thrives when there is a strong opposition,’ she said, urging the APC to rebuild its structures, review its strategy and prepare early for the next electoral contest.
For her, the strength of Nigeria’s democracy will depend not only on who wins elections but also on the ability of opposition parties to hold governments accountable and offer credible alternatives.
Similarly, Terver Shirsha Atsar, a Nigerian chemical engineer, environmental expert, and politician, urged Nigerians to look beyond the declaration and demand greater transparency from INEC.
Atsar, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) consensus candidate for the Kwande/Ushongo Federal Constituency seat in the House of Representatives for the 2027 elections, commended the commission for declaring what he described as the authentic winner, but warned that public confidence would suffer if the result was influenced by any undisclosed political arrangement.
He specifically referenced allegations of a possible understanding between Adeleke and President Bola Tinubu, stressing that such claims must not be allowed to cast doubt on the integrity of the election.
Atsar, also said the performance of INEC’s electoral technology in the election demonstrated that electronic systems could deliver credible results when properly deployed.
He challenged the commission to maintain the standard and avoid relying on explanations such as network failures or technical glitches in future elections.
Meanwhile, former Bayelsa State governor and National Leader of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Senator Seriake Dickson, widened the debate, warning that the challenges surrounding Nigeria’s elections extend beyond Osun.
Dickson criticised what he described as the militarisation and monetisation of the electoral process, arguing that the increasing use of security agencies and financial inducements could weaken democratic competition.
Speaking in Abuja, he recalled that elections in the early years of the Fourth Republic were driven more by political ideas and mobilisation than by money.
‘We didn’t have money. Voters were not asking for money. Political leaders and politicians were also not giving money,’ he recalled.
Dickson warned that the trends could have serious implications for future off-cycle elections and the 2027 general elections, particularly if state institutions are perceived to be deployed for partisan purposes.
The reactions have therefore placed Adeleke’s victory in a broader political context: celebration for supporters, a challenge to the opposition and renewed scrutiny of INEC and Nigeria’s electoral system.
With 2027 already looming on the political horizon, the Osun result is likely to become more than a state-level victory. It could also serve as a template, warning or political lesson for parties preparing for the next national contest.