A former APC spokesman for Lagos, Seye Oladejo, has described Governor Ademola Adeleke’s re-election in Osun as a triumph for democracy.

Mr Oladejo said the outcome also defeated the growing narrative that Nigeria was inevitably drifting toward a one-party state.

He stated this in a statement on Monday, saying Mr Adeleke’s victory demonstrated the resilience and competitiveness of Nigeria’s democratic space.

“Democracy is not measured by how often the ruling party wins elections. It is measured by whether the people retain the freedom to choose who governs them—and whether that choice is respected,” he said.

Mr Oladejo said Mr Adeleke’s victory was bigger than the success of an individual candidate, political party or state.

According to him, the result showed that the electorate cannot be taken for granted and that the ballot box can produce unexpected outcomes.

“The re-election of Governor Ademola Adeleke in Osun state is therefore much bigger than the victory of one candidate, one political party or one state. It is a significant statement about the resilience of Nigeria’s democracy and, importantly, a powerful rebuttal to the increasingly fashionable narrative that Nigeria is drifting towards a one-party state,” he said.

Mr Oladejo said politicians moving across party lines and defecting to the ruling APC had raised concerns about the future of opposition politics.

He, however, said the Osun election provided what he described as a “useful reality check” to such concerns.

“If Nigeria were indeed inexorably marching towards a one-party state, an incumbent governor contesting under a platform outside the ruling party and securing re-election would hardly be the most compelling evidence of a vibrant opposition space. Yet, the electorate had the final word. This is the beauty of democracy,” he said.

Mr Oladejo said the result punctured the perception that the APC’s growing political strength automatically translated into control of every electoral space.

He said political parties could win elections in some areas and lose in others, adding that such developments were features of competitive democracy.

Mr Oladejo said democracy has no concept of the “invincibility of the ruling party”, stressing that no political party possesses a permanent certificate of victory.

“No ruling party, regardless of its structure, influence, resources, incumbency or political pedigree, possesses a permanent certificate of victory,” Mr Oladejo said.

According to him, political fortunes, circumstances, candidates, and alliances change, while voters ultimately retain the power to choose.

He urged political parties, including the APC, to avoid complacency and approach every election as a fresh contest requiring renewed efforts to earn voters’ support.

Mr Oladejo said the electorate should not be treated as politically predictable, noting that voters could make different choices based on candidates, performance and prevailing circumstances.

“An election is not an inheritance. It is a fresh contract,” he said.

The APC chieftain said President Bola Tinubu’s democratic credentials should also be assessed by how elections were conducted when outcomes did not favour his party.

He said the president’s reported acceptance of Mr Adeleke’s victory and congratulatory gesture deserved recognition as evidence of democratic maturity.

“Democracy is not only about celebrating when your candidate wins. It is also about accepting the verdict of the people when your candidate loses. That is where democratic credentials are truly tested,” Mr Oladejo said.

He said leaders must rise above narrow partisan interests and ensure an environment where Nigerians could freely choose their leaders.

“If APC wins, it should win because Nigerians voted for it. If APC loses, the result should still be respected because the same Nigerians have spoken. That is how democracy matures,” he said.

Mr Oladejo, however, said Mr Adeleke’s renewed mandate came with the responsibility to deliver improved governance and development to the people of Osun.

He urged the governor to focus on infrastructure, education, healthcare, security, job creation and economic opportunities during his second term.

“An electoral victory is not the destination. It is permission to govern,” he said.

Mr Oladejo said the Osun election could prove instructive ahead of the 2027 general elections by demonstrating that Nigeria’s political space remained open and competitive. He said the outcome should remind politicians that voters could not be permanently owned or taken for granted.

“The deeper lesson is that the ballot remains bigger than the party, the voter remains bigger than the politician, and democracy remains bigger than whoever happens to be in power. The myth of an inevitable one-party state has suffered a significant blow,” he said.

Mr Oladejo said Mr Adeleke’s victory was therefore not merely an Osun story but a national democratic reminder that every mandate must be earned.

“Nigeria’s democracy remains capable of producing surprises. There is no such thing as the ‘invincibility of the ruling party’. Absolutely nothing can be taken for granted. In democracy, every election is a new contest, every mandate must be earned, and the people always have the final word,” he said.

(NAN)