Osun poll: Tinubu has proved ruling party can lose, says Sanwo-Olu

‎Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, says the outcome of the August 15 Osun governorship election demonstrated that the ruling party could lose an election under President Bola Tinubu without undermining the democratic process.

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‎Sanwo-Olu spoke on Thursday in Lagos where he discussed Nigeria’s democracy and preparations for the 2027 elections.

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‎He cited the Osun election, which was won by incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke, as evidence of what he described as Tinubu’s commitment to democratic principles.

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‎Adeleke, the candidate of another party, defeated Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress (APC) by more than 60,000 votes.

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‎Tinubu subsequently congratulated Adeleke, describing his re-election as a “fitting assurance” that democracy would continue to flourish under his administration.

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‎The president also met Adeleke behind closed doors at the Presidential Villa in Abuja days after the election and urged him to unite the state.

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‎According to Sanwo-Olu, the development was different from previous periods when opposition parties often faced significant challenges in defeating the ruling party.

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‎He said:“There was a time in this country when ‘federal might’ was a phrase that a ruling party used without irony.

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‎“Under this President, the ruling party can lose a state in the South-West in an election year, and the sky does not fall. That is what a maturing democracy looks like.

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‎“This President is a lifelong democrat, and he means to leave behind a stronger democracy than he inherited, not only for Nigerians but as an example to a continent that badly needs one.”

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