Takeaways from Osun

The 2024 Osun State governorship election presents key lessons for Nigeria's democratic future as the country approaches the 2027 general elections. While not flawless, the election's outcomes and voter behavior suggest reasons for optimism. Accord Party candidate Ademola Adeleke emerged victorious with 511,067 votes, edging out All Progressives Congress candidate Bola Oyebamiji who received 444,815 votes.

Adeleke won 19 out of Osun's 30 local government areas, while Oyebamiji secured 11. A crucial factor was voter turnout and protection of votes, with INEC recording 1,010,684 accredited voters out of 2,339,233 registered voters. Over 1.9 million voters, or 81.5%, had collected their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) before the election, indicating a significant portion of the electorate was motivated to exercise their franchise.

This progress should inspire other Nigerians to engage more deeply in elections, especially as the 2027 general election approaches. However, the Osun election also exposed concerning practices that must be addressed for future elections. Political parties' deployment of senior officials, including governors and lawmakers, to states holding off-cycle elections raises issues about the fairness and financial burden of such interventions.

Additionally, reports of vote buying in Osun, where voters were offered between N10,000 and N50,000, highlight the severe threat vote buying poses to democratic processes. This undermines the dignity of the ballot and gives advantage to the wealthiest candidates. To combat this, electoral reforms must define the limits of public officials' involvement in elections outside their constituencies, and there must be strict prosecution of offenders.

With the 2027 elections on a larger scale, including presidential and legislative races, the risk of corrupt practices like vote buying increases. Electoral reform cannot wait until after the 2027 elections; stakeholders must begin now to address weaknesses exposed by the Osun election. Political parties must also shift their focus from financial muscle and political connections to competing on policies and candidate credibility.

Ultimately, Nigerians must reject the notion that their votes are for sale. Osun demonstrates that with active participation, citizens can make their votes count. The challenge now is to build on this while ensuring electoral integrity.