Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has lauded President Bola Tinubu for demonstrating strong democratic credentials, pointing to the outcome of the recent Osun State governorship election as proof that Nigeria’s democracy is maturing. According to Sanwo-Olu, the election showed that the ruling party can lose a critical poll without the federal government interfering in the process.
Speaking on Thursday during the seventh annual lecture of Freedom Online at the Sheraton Hotel in Ikeja, Lagos, Sanwo-Olu addressed the state of Nigeria’s democracy, ongoing electoral reforms, and readiness for the upcoming 2027 general elections.
The Osun Election as a Democratic Litmus Test
The governor referenced the August 15 Osun governorship election, where the incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke of the opposition party defeated the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, by over 60,000 votes. Rather than deploying “federal might” to tilt the scale, President Tinubu congratulated Adeleke and hosted him at the Presidential Villa to encourage state unity.
Sanwo-Olu noted that this marked a significant shift from past political dispensations where the ruling party at the center heavily influenced local elections. “There was a time in this country when ‘federal might’ was a phrase that a ruling party used without irony,” Sanwo-Olu remarked. “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.”
Electoral Reforms and the Road to 2027
In his address, Sanwo-Olu highlighted the continuous improvements in Nigeria’s electoral framework, citing the Electoral Act of 2022, the newly enacted Electoral Act of 2026, and the adoption of advanced technology for voter verification and result transmission. However, he urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ramp up its preparations to ensure flawless execution during the 2027 polls.
“INEC must be ready in every polling unit on the 16th of January and again on the 6th of February, and each of us has a duty to help it be ready,” the governor stated. He also cautioned political candidates against desperate measures, asserting that no public office justifies the loss of any citizen’s life.
Voters as ‘Excellent Accountants’ of Performance
Looking ahead to 2027, Sanwo-Olu emphasized that the performance of state governors would play a decisive role in how citizens vote. He warned that public assessment would be based on tangible governance rather than political rhetoric.
“Voters may not be economists, but they are excellent accountants. They know whether their State built the road it promised. They know whether the primary health centre has a nurse in it. They will bring that ledger with them to the polling unit,” he said.
A Call for Media Rigor Against Disinformation
The Lagos governor concluded by urging the press to remain fiercely independent and critical. He emphasized that a compliant media does a disservice to democracy by pandering to the powerful instead of serving the public interest.
With the rise of digital media, Sanwo-Olu warned that the greatest threat to the upcoming electoral cycle would be disinformation spread through anonymous social media accounts and manipulated videos, urging professional journalists to act as the ultimate arbiters of truth.