Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has praised President Bola Tinubu’s democratic credentials, saying the outcome of the recent Osun governorship election demonstrated that a ruling party can lose an election under his administration without the country’s democracy being threatened.
Gatekeepers News reports that Sanwo-Olu made the remarks on Thursday at Freedom Online’s seventh annual lecture, held at the Sheraton Hotel in Ikeja, Lagos, where he spoke on Nigeria’s democratic development and the 2027 elections.
The governor cited the August 15 Osun governorship election, which was won by incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke, as evidence of Tinubu’s commitment to democratic principles.
Adeleke, the candidate of another political party, defeated the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, by more than 60,000 votes.
Following the election, Tinubu congratulated Adeleke, describing his re-election as a “fitting assurance” that democracy would continue to flourish under his administration.
The President also met with Adeleke behind closed doors at the Presidential Villa in Abuja days after the election and urged him to unite the state.
‘He’s a lifelong democrat’
Reflecting on the election, Sanwo-Olu said the development represented a departure from an era when opposition parties had little chance of defeating the ruling party.
“There was a time in this country when ‘federal might’ was a phrase that a ruling party used without irony,” he said.
“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.”
The governor described Tinubu as “a lifelong democrat”, saying the President was committed to leaving behind a stronger democratic system.
“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.”
Sanwo-Olu also highlighted improvements in Nigeria’s electoral system, citing the Electoral Act 2022, the newly enacted Electoral Act 2026 and the increasing use of technology for voter verification and results transmission.
He, however, stressed the need for further preparations to ensure the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is fully ready for the 2027 elections.
“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,” he said.
‘No victory is worth a Nigerian life’
The Lagos governor also warned political parties and candidates against actions capable of undermining the electoral process, insisting that no political office was worth the loss of life.
“A mandate is only as strong as the process that produced it. No office in this land is worth the life of a single Nigerian and no victory won by the wrong means is a victory at all,” he said.
Sanwo-Olu said governors would play a significant role in determining the outcome of the 2027 elections, as voters were likely to judge political leaders based on their performance in office.
“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.
Sanwo-Olu challenges media to scrutinise politicians
The governor also urged the media to maintain professional standards and hold political actors accountable, including members of his own party.
“I am not asking for a compliant press.
“A compliant press is of no use to a democracy; it flatters the powerful and abandons the public.”
He called for a more rigorous media capable of fact-checking political claims and confronting disinformation regardless of its source.
“I am asking for a rigorous press. Check the facts, mine included. Call out disinformation wherever it comes from, including from my own side.
“In the weeks ahead, the most dangerous lies will not come from newspapers. They will come from anonymous accounts and doctored videos and you are the institution best placed to answer them.”
