Nigerian Concord Newspaper
In the annals of Nigeria’s democratic journey, few moments shine as brightly as the triumph of the people of Osun State on 15 August 2026. Against a well coordinated onslaught that deployed the full weight of federal might—21 APC governors, a reported network of 17 Resident Electoral Commissioners, the EFCC, the ICPC, and sustained police intimidation, the ordinary men and women of Osun rose as one and delivered a verdict that will echo for generations. They gave democracy its real definition: power belongs to the people, not to the powerful.
What we witnessed was not an ordinary election. It was a deliberate, multi-schemed attempt to overrun the will of Osun through institutional capture and psychological warfare. APC governors from far and near descended on the state, turning the campaign into a federal project.
The brazen relocation of 21 APC governors to Osun State in a coordinated effort at vote-buying and the mass importation of outsiders for impersonation constitutes a disgraceful assault on democratic integrity and the sovereign will of the people. Yet the steadfast resilience of Osun’s citizens exposed and shamed this cynical scheme, affirming that no amount of political thuggery or electoral malpractice can ultimately subdue a determined electorate.
The EFCC’s garnishing of an Osun State Government bank account exactly ten days to the epical election was a clear act of bias, intimidation and harassment. That President Bola Tinubu had to intervene before the account was vacated only confirms the presidency’s overbearing control of the anti-graft agency, reducing it to a tool for witch-hunting perceived political opponents. The police, under successive commands, were accused of selective arrests, detentions, and harassment of Accord Party leaders, including the Secretary to the State Government and several commissioners. The atmosphere was charged with fear. Yet the people of Osun refused to be cowed. What a gallant way of defending democracy!
Governor Ademola Adeleke, contesting on the platform of the Accord Party after navigating the treacherous waters of party politics, stood firm. His message was simple and consistent: continuity of people-centred governance, protection of the gains already made, and his counsel against turning ongoing transformational projects into abandoned projects. The people listened. They remembered. And on election day they voted with their conscience.
The Independent National Electoral Commission eventually declared Adeleke the winner with 511,067 votes against Bola Oyebamiji of the APC’s 444,815 with a clear margin of 66,252 votes. Adeleke swept 19 of the 30 local government areas. The numbers are important, but the symbolism is greater. In the face of alleged institutional intimidation, the ballot box remained the ultimate referee. Osun proved that even when the machinery of the Federal Government is deployed against a state, a determined electorate can still prevail.
This victory is bigger than one man or one party. It is a rebuke to the dangerous idea that federal power can be used to impose outcomes on sub-national elections. It is a reminder that democracy is not the property of Governors’ Forums, Anti-graft agencies, or police commands. Democracy lives in the polling unit, in the hands of the voter who refuses to be bought, bullied, or frightened into silence.
History will record that Osun people stared down the gang-up and chose their destiny. They rejected the narrative that the APC’s control of the centre automatically translates into control of every state. They insisted that performance, connection to the grassroots, and respect for the people’s sovereignty still matter.
To the 21 APC governors who invested time to relocate to Osogbo, thereby abandoned their states in an evil conspiracy, and came with huge amount of money running into billions: the people have spoken. To those who believed that the EFCC, ICPC, and the police could tilt the scales: the people have spoken. To every Resident Electoral Commissioner and security officer who may have felt pressure from above: the people have spoken.
Osun has once again shown Nigeria the path. When the people are united in defence of their choice, no amount of coordination from Abuja or state houses can override them. That is the real definition of democracy.
Congratulations to the people’s Governor Ademola Adeleke and the people of Osun State. You have not only retained your mandate; you have strengthened the democratic creed for all of us. May this victory serve as a permanent lesson that sovereignty belong to the people.
Ambassador ’Kunle Adeloye is the Caretaker Secretary of the Ondo State ADC Chapter