16/08/2026
Take-Home Lessons from the Osun Experience...
The recent political experience in Osun offers some important lessons for Nigeria’s democracy. Beyond the immediate political outcome, it presents an encouraging picture of what can happen when citizens become politically conscious, informed and determined to exercise their democratic rights.
First, the people of Osun demonstrated political awareness and informed participation. They appeared to understand the issues at stake and were able to distinguish between governance that delivers and governance that does not.
Second, they demonstrated that they believe their votes count. Rather than surrendering to cynicism or political apathy, they went to the polling units and exercised their franchise.
Third, they voted their conscience. Despite reports of inducements by some party agents, many voters apparently refused to exchange their long-term interest for immediate financial gratification. In a lighter vein, one could agree with the people that “N20,000 or N50,000 went down the drain!” The money may have changed hands, but it did not necessarily buy the votes.
Fourth, they did not simply vote and go home; they stayed to protect their votes. This is perhaps one of the most significant lessons. Voting is only one part of the democratic process. Citizens must also be vigilant enough to ensure that the votes they cast are properly counted, recorded and protected.
Fifth, the people demonstrated courage in the face of perceived political pressure. They were not intimidated by what could be described as federal political influence or by the presence and involvement of governors from other states. Their determination suggested that the power of the people, when collectively exercised, can be greater than the intimidating appearance of political power.
The Osun experience reinforces a familiar democratic principle: when the votes are sufficiently many and citizens remain vigilant, it becomes considerably more difficult to manipulate the outcome. Even financial inducement may fail when voters understand that the temporary benefit of accepting money cannot compensate for the long-term consequences of four years of poor governance.
Indeed, the reported attempts at vote-buying-including what might be described as the “puff-puff approach” to political inducement-appear to have encountered a population increasingly conscious of the value of its vote.
The lesson for Nigeria is clear. We must continue to build an electorate that is politically educated, discerning and courageous enough to vote according to conscience. Citizens must understand that ₦50,000, ₦100,000 or any other temporary inducement cannot buy four years of good governance.
Democracy becomes stronger when citizens understand that their vote is not merely a piece of paper cast into a ballot box; it is an investment in the quality of governance they and their communities will experience.
The hope, therefore, is that more Nigerians will become better informed, more politically conscious and less susceptible to financial inducement. The ultimate question at every election should not be, “What will I receive today?” but rather, “What kind of government do I want for the next four years?”
A word, they say, is enough for the wise.
I must commend His Excellency, President Tinubu for his smart move of removing himself outright from the perceived deployment of the federal might in Osun. This he has done with the unfreezing of Osun State's accounts; and as the results were announced, he called to congratulate Adeleke! How strategic! He is not called Jagaban for nothing.
Davido cannot be left out in my commendation for his selfless support for his uncle over the years. His loyalty tells more of the core values of the Adeleke's family.
Congratulations to the dancing governor! This shows that beyond the dance, there is competence.
And congratulations to democracy!
-Eliel Otote A. is an Actor, Filmmaker and Author of the Nolly-pedia: “Pioneering Nollywood: The Trials and the Errors (An Auto-ethnographic Account)”
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