A political pressure group, G-100, has urged opposition parties and their leaders to replicate the strategy that secured Governor Ademola Adeleke’s victory in the Osun State governorship election ahead of the 2027 general elections.
According to The Punch, the group said the outcome of Saturday’s election demonstrated the strength of opposition forces when political parties put aside individual interests and work together toward a common objective.
In a statement issued on Sunday by Salihu Lukman on behalf of the group, G-100 congratulated Adeleke on his re-election and commended the people of Osun State for their courage and determination during the poll.
The group said Adeleke’s victory carried significance beyond his return to office, describing the election as an example of how opposition parties could overcome internal divisions through cooperation.
“The significance of what has happened in Osun goes far beyond the re-election of one Governor. Osun has provided a template for 2027,” the G-100 said.
According to the organisation, the major challenge facing Nigeria’s opposition ahead of 2027 is not a lack of public support but the fragmentation of political parties and their leaders.
“For weeks now, the G-100 has argued that Nigeria’s opposition does not suffer from a shortage of popular support. Its greatest challenge is fragmentation,” it said.
The group noted that some opposition candidates and political leaders in Osun had chosen to support Adeleke, setting aside their individual ambitions in favour of what they considered a broader democratic interest.
“Their decision was an affirmation that there are moments when the greater democratic interest must come before the ambitions of any individual or political party,” the group added.
G-100 said the development demonstrated that opposition parties could combine their structures, supporters and political strengths to mount a serious challenge against the ruling All Progressives Congress.
It noted that the candidates who withdrew from the race in support of Adeleke had the right to pursue their own political ambitions but instead prioritised what they believed would produce a better outcome for the electorate.
“The governorship candidates who stepped down and supported Governor Adeleke were each entitled to pursue their own ambitions. They chose instead to ask a more important question: what outcome best serves the people and strengthens the democratic cause?” the group said.
The organisation therefore called on opposition leaders seeking to defeat the APC in 2027 to adopt a similar approach at the national level.
“Nigeria is bigger than any candidate, any ambition and any political party,” the statement further read.
G-100 challenged politicians advocating for a change of government in 2027 to demonstrate the same “courage, restraint and willingness to compromise” displayed by opposition actors in Osun.
The group maintained that the Osun election had shown that cooperation among opposition forces could create a credible alternative when political leaders were willing to make compromises.
“Osun has shown the pathway. The task now is to take that spirit of cooperation to the national stage,” it said.
The statement followed the declaration of Adeleke as winner of the August 15 Osun governorship election by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Adeleke, who contested on the platform of the Accord Party, defeated the All Progressives Congress candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, winning 19 of the state’s 30 local government areas.
Oyebamiji secured victory in the remaining 11 local government areas.
