The National Chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Prof. Sadiq Gombe, has commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for what he described as the professional conduct of the Osun State governorship election, saying the outcome offered important lessons for Nigeria ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Gombe spoke on Monday at a news conference at the SDP National Secretariat, Wuse II, Abuja, on the outcome of the Osun governorship election.
The SDP chairman said the party was initially hampered in its participation in the election by a legal dispute over its governorship candidate, noting that the party only obtained a certified true copy of the relevant court judgment shortly before the poll.
According to him, the delay affected the party’s preparations and ability to properly deploy its agents across the state.
He said the development was similar to what the party experienced in a previous governorship election, where, according to him, its candidate was uploaded on the INEC platform only a few hours before voting commenced.
Gombe, however, said the party had chosen to focus on the lessons from the Osun election and the implications for the 2027 general elections rather than dwell on its challenges.
He said one of the major lessons from the election was that Nigerians were willing to vote for candidates outside the traditional major political parties if they believed such candidates could deliver good governance.
The SDP chairman said the Osun election had demonstrated that the electorate could make independent choices irrespective of the size or structure of a political party.
He added that the party had become more convinced of the need for a broad-based political rescue mission ahead of 2027.
Gombe said the SDP would field candidates it considered capable of addressing Nigeria’s challenges, stressing that competence, capacity, character, knowledge and commitment to national development would be central to the party’s choice of candidates.
He also praised INEC for the conduct of the election, saying the commission had demonstrated that it could organise a credible, free and fair electoral process when given the necessary support.
“We will not shy away from criticising INEC when it errs, but when INEC does the right thing, we must also acknowledge it,” he said.
According to him, the conduct of the Osun election had boosted public confidence in the electoral commission and created optimism about the possibility of a more credible 2027 general election.
Gombe, however, expressed concern over the massive deployment of security personnel and senior officials for the Osun election, saying the arrangement raised questions about the capacity of the country to replicate such deployment during a nationwide election.
He noted that each local government area in Osun had a commissioner of police supervising security operations during the election.
He urged INEC and the security agencies to begin preparations early for 2027 and devise a sustainable strategy for deploying personnel across the country without compromising electoral security.
The SDP chairman also criticised the involvement of serving governors, ministers, senators, National Assembly leaders and other senior political office holders in the Osun election.
He alleged that some political actors deployed state resources and machinery in the election, urging security agencies to prevent such practices in future elections.
Gombe called on Nigerians to draw lessons from the Osun experience and defend their votes during elections, saying the electorate remained the ultimate determinant of the country’s political future.
He also appealed to opposition political parties to learn from the Osun election and consider a genuine coalition ahead of 2027, stressing that any such arrangement must be based on national interest rather than personal ambition.
He said the selection of candidates for any opposition coalition should be guided by competence, capacity, character, knowledge of Nigeria and the ability to provide effective leadership.
Gombe further urged the media to intensify voter education and public enlightenment to reduce electoral malpractice and help Nigerians make informed choices.
He said the SDP remained committed to what he described as a “rescue mission” to provide Nigerians with an alternative political platform ahead of the 2027 elections.
The SDP chairman maintained that the lessons from Osun should not be confined to the state, but should inform preparations for elections across the country, particularly in strengthening electoral institutions, improving security arrangements and ensuring that the votes of Nigerians count.
