Osun poll shows opposition needs single candidate to defeat Tinubu – SDP

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The National Chairman of the Social Democratic Party, Prof Sadiq Gombe, has said the outcome of the Osun State governorship election has demonstrated the need for opposition parties to unite behind a single presidential candidate ahead of the 2027 general election.

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Gombe, who spoke at a press conference at the party’s secretariat in Abuja on Monday, said the victory of the incumbent governor, Ademola Adeleke, amid pressure and intimidation showed that a united opposition could defeat the ruling party.

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He also clarified that the SDP’s poor performance in the election was not a true reflection of its strength or acceptability, blaming the situation on legal battles over the party’s governorship candidate and the late recognition of the candidate by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

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Adeleke was on Sunday declared winner of the governorship election held across the state on Saturday, after polling 403,371 votes to defeat his closest rival, the APC candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, who secured 394,684 votes.

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Gombe, however, said the most significant lesson from the election was that opposition parties could pose a serious challenge to the APC if they abandoned individual interests and rallied behind a common candidate.

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He said, “The important lesson to be learnt here is that there is hope if all opposition parties come together and present a single candidate to face the APC in the 2027 general elections. This was evident in what happened at Osun.

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“Despite all the mounting pressure, gang-up and alignment by APC governors and bigwigs, Osun people stood their ground.”

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He also threw his weight behind the party’s presidential candidate, Prince Adewole Adebayo, arguing that the SDP was capable of providing the leadership required to defeat the APC in 2027.

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“The SDP, whether people like it or not, presents the best presidential candidate for 2027 in terms of capacity, knowledge of Nigeria, competence and humility in its mission to rescue the country.

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“This can only happen if the opposition can come and back someone like him for the sake of the common man. Just as it happened in Osun, we are calling for the coalition of the people to salvage this country.

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“And I can assure them, they are not going to regret the best candidate we have presented,” he stated.

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The SDP’s call came amid renewed efforts by opposition politicians and groups to forge a common front against President Bola Tinubu and the APC ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

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The PUNCH reported that uncertainty has continued to trail the proposal for a single opposition presidential candidate, with political parties expressing divergent positions on the proposed arrangement.

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The push followed a call by the Group of 100 prominent Nigerians, led by former APC chieftain Salisu Lukman, for opposition presidential candidates and political leaders to close ranks and present a common candidate against Tinubu in 2027.

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The group urged former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress, Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress and their respective running mates, Rotimi Amaechi and Rabiu Kwankwaso, as well as other opposition candidates, to subordinate individual interests to the broader objective of defeating the APC-led Federal Government.

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The G-100 argued that a divided opposition, regardless of its numerical strength, would struggle to defeat the ruling party, making a single presidential candidacy necessary to consolidate opposition votes.

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