Tosin Ogunkolade
The National Chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Prof. Sadiq Gombe, has urged Nigerians not to underestimate the party as a “small” political party.
Gombe said the 2026 Osun governorship election demonstrated that voters could determine electoral outcomes regardless of the perceived strength of political parties.
He said this at a post-election assessment news conference in Abuja on Monday.
According to him, the victory of the Accord candidate showed that voters could choose a candidate they considered capable of leading the state, regardless of the party’s perceived political strength.
“The people of Osun came out en masse and voted for him because they believed in his government,” he said.
Gombe said the outcome should also serve as a warning to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) that it was not invincible.
He said the election further demonstrated that Nigerians were ready to participate actively in elections and defend their votes.
“I said they might not be ready, but Nigerians were ready. The Osun election has now proved that,” he said.
The SDP chairman attributed the party’s poor performance in the election partly to the late recognition of its candidate by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
He said the party had to obtain a certified true copy of a court judgment before INEC recognised its candidate, leaving it with limited time to prepare for the election.
According to him, the candidate was uploaded to INEC’s system only hours before the election, making it difficult for the party to upload its polling-unit agents.
He said the situation created uncertainty among voters, with some believing that the SDP would not participate in the election.
Gombe said similar challenges had affected the party during the Ekiti governorship election, adding that the SDP would work to prevent a recurrence.
He, however, said the Osun result should not be interpreted as a true reflection of the SDP’s national strength or acceptability.
He said leaders of opposition parties and even members of the ruling party had acknowledged the SDP candidate’s qualities, including his understanding of Nigeria, character, confidence, capacity and knowledge.
“The Nigerian people have learned from the worst by voting for the best candidate we presented,” he said.
Gombe said another lesson from the election was that opposition parties did not necessarily have to present a single candidate to defeat the APC.
He noted that several opposition parties contested the election and campaigned vigorously, but voters ultimately decided which candidate they preferred.
The SDP chairman commended INEC, its leadership and staff for the conduct of the election.
“We have always criticised INEC whenever it gets things wrong. In the same spirit, we must commend the commission whenever it does the right thing,” he said.
He said the election had helped restore confidence in INEC’s ability to conduct transparent, free and fair elections.
Gombe urged INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, and other officials to sustain the standard demonstrated during the Osun election.
“The Nigerian people, political parties, key stakeholders and the international community are watching,” he said.
He also called on the Inspector-General of Police and heads of other security agencies to enforce electoral laws governing the conduct of political actors during elections.
Gombe criticised the movement of governors and other political leaders to Osun during the election, particularly the use of public resources for political activities.
“If 16 or more governors can leave their states and converge on one state during an election, what happens to the other states? Who is governing them?” he asked.
He urged Nigerians to remain resolute and focused on candidates they believed could deliver good governance, regardless of political pressure or inducements.
Gombe said the Osun election had shown that citizens could influence electoral outcomes when they united around their preferred choice.
“As far as we are concerned, and based on the records and facts on the ground, the people of Osun have spoken,” he said.≅
