2027: Osun Election a Wake-Up Call, Results Must Be Decided at Polling Units, Not Courts — TDM

From Chris Akhabue Edo, 

A prominent member of the NDC and  National Secretary of The Dickson Movement for Democracy,  (TDM), Comrade Emmanuel, has described the outcome of the recent Osun State governorship election as a victory for democracy and the people, while warning opposition parties against becoming complacent ahead of the 2027 general elections.

TDM congratulated the people of Osun State on the victory of Governor Ademola Adeleke, said the outcome of the election should serve as a wake-up call for political parties and stakeholders to intensify preparations for the 2027 polls in safeguarding their votes.

He maintained that the 2027 general election must be conducted in a manner that ensures that the people's votes count, stressing that electoral outcomes should be determined at the polling units rather than through prolonged legal battles in the courts.

According to him, the Osun election, although largely credible, was not completely free of violence and should therefore not be regarded as a template for future elections.

“While we congratulate the people of Osun on the just-concluded governorship election, we want to state categorically that this election should not be a yardstick for opposition parties or politicians to lower their guard in preparation for the 2027 general election,” Ogbidi said.

He urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies to strengthen their constitutional responsibilities and ensure that future elections are conducted in an atmosphere devoid of intimidation, harassment and disenfranchisement.

He said, “We urge institutions saddled with the responsibility of conducting elections and maintaining security to beef up their constitutional roles and demonstrate sincerity of purpose in election management. Nigerians must be allowed to vote freely without intimidation, while political parties and opposition candidates must be given a level playing field.”

Ogbidi further warned that the 2027 general elections could be more challenging, requiring opposition parties and political movements to embark on early and strategic mobilisation.

He disclosed that the Dickson Movement for Democracy (TDM) would intensify its mobilisation and sensitisation programmes across the 36 states of the federation to prepare Nigerians for the 2027 elections.

According to him, the movement would educate and equip its supporters with strategies for protecting their votes and resisting any attempt at electoral manipulation.

“The Osun election has come and gone, but it has opened a window for us to glean into the future and prepare adequately for the serious organisation and mobilisation required to understand what we are up against in 2027,” he said.

Ogbidi said TDM would mobilise Nigerians at the grassroots, particularly at the polling-unit, ward and local government levels, to ensure that votes cast are properly monitored and accounted for.

He added that the objective was to strengthen citizens' participation in the electoral process and ensure that election results reflect the actual votes cast by Nigerians.

“This is a wake-up call for all of us. TDM is taking the lead in mobilising a crop of Nigerians who will man their various polling units, wards and local governments to defend and protect the votes of the NDC and ensure that every vote counts.

“In 2027, elections should not be decided in courts. They should be decided expressly at the polling units, with results properly announced and winners declared by the electoral commission. Close monitoring of the process will usher in another political evolution where Nigerians can truly decide who governs them through the ballot and not through the courts,” he stated.

The TDM national secretary also explained that the Dickson Movement for Democracy is a political movement established to mobilise support for NDC candidates ahead of the 2027 elections.

He said the movement is founded on the political ideology and democratic values associated with former Bayelsa State Governor and Senator, Henry Seriake Dickson, under whose tutelage the movement operates.

Ogbidi described the Osun governorship election outcome as a victory for the people and democracy, saying it demonstrated that the will of the electorate could prevail despite political challenges.

He expressed optimism that the experience would be replicated in the 2027 general elections, stressing that TDM would play a strategic role in driving the mobilisation process.