The Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) has commended the people of Osun State for demonstrating remarkable resilience, courage and determination in exercising their constitutional right to vote despite the atmosphere of tension, intimidation and violence that preceded Saturday’s governorship election.
The CNPP said the conduct of the Osun electorate, particularly their refusal to surrender their democratic rights to fear, intimidation or threats of violence, offers an important lesson for Nigerians as the country prepares for the 2027 general elections.
The organisation said the reported killings and other violent incidents in the build-up to the election made the courage of Osun voters even more significant, noting that the decision of citizens to turn out and participate in the electoral process demonstrated that intimidation must not be allowed to determine who governs the people.
The Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the CNPP, Comrade James Ezema, the said Nigerians must understand that democracy can only survive when citizens actively participate in choosing their leaders.
“Osun State has once again reminded Nigerians that democracy belongs to the people and that the ballot remains one of the most powerful instruments available to citizens for determining who governs them.
“The resilience of the people of Osun State, who refused to be intimidated or driven away from the polling units by the atmosphere of violence and fear that preceded the election, deserves commendation.
“Those who seek to intimidate voters understand one fundamental weakness of democracy: when citizens refuse to participate, they create a vacuum that can be exploited by those who seek to manipulate the electoral process.
“Therefore, ahead of the 2027 general elections, Nigerians must emulate the courage demonstrated by Osun voters. Refusal to vote does not punish politicians; rather, it opens the door and clears the stage for those who may seek to rig elections or impose unpopular leadership,” the CNPP stated.
The CNPP said the outcome of the Osun election should not be viewed merely through the prism of which political party won or lost, but as an important demonstration of the power of citizens to determine electoral outcomes when they participate in sufficient numbers.
According to the organisation, the 2027 elections should be about creating an electoral environment where every eligible Nigerian can freely cast a ballot without intimidation and where every legitimate vote is properly counted and reflected in the final result.
The CNPP therefore urged Nigerians not to allow political violence, threats or deliberate attempts to discourage voter participation to determine the future of the country.
The CNPP also commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for what it described as a generally improved level of neutrality in the conduct of the Osun governorship election.
The CNPP particularly called on INEC to improve the speed and transparency of results management and ensure the early and consistent uploading of polling-unit results on its election results portal.
According to the organisation, delays in uploading results can create an information vacuum that may be exploited by political actors and unscrupulous individuals to circulate fake or fabricated results.
“Such a situation can generate unnecessary suspicion, fuel conspiracy theories and create fertile ground for the circulation of fake results, which can become a recipe for violence.
The CNPP further urged INEC to conduct a comprehensive technical review of the biometric accreditation systems and other electronic devices deployed during the Osun election.
The organisation said reports of malfunctioning equipment and difficulties experienced with biometric and electronic systems should not be dismissed as isolated technical inconveniences.
According to the CNPP, every malfunction that prevents or delays a legitimate voter from exercising his or her franchise has the potential to undermine public confidence in the electoral process.
“INEC must identify, document and9o address every technical failure recorded during the Osun election.
“The commission must ensure that malfunctioning biometric systems, electronic devices and other technological challenges experienced during the election are permanently addressed before the 2027 general elections.
“The population involved in the 2027 elections will be considerably larger and the logistical demands will be much greater. INEC cannot afford to repeat avoidable technological failures on a larger scale,” the statement said.
The CNPP also urged the commission to conduct extensive pre-election testing, stress-testing and public demonstration of relevant electoral technologies well ahead of the 2027 polls.
The CNPP condemned electoral violence, intimidation, threats and attacks against voters, political opponents, electoral officials and other stakeholders.
It urged politicians and their supporters to understand that electoral victory obtained through violence or intimidation cannot produce a stable democracy.
“Politicians and their supporters must understand that Nigeria’s electoral laws criminalise a range of acts capable of undermining the integrity of elections. No political ambition is greater than the peace and security of the Nigerian people.
The organisation also urged security agencies to investigate reported electoral offences thoroughly and ensure that perpetrators, regardless of political affiliation or status, are brought to justice.
As part of broader reforms required to strengthen Nigeria’s democratic institutions, the CNPP called for the immediate establishment of Federal and State Electoral Offences Tribunals dedicated to handling cases arising from electoral violence, intimidation, vote buying, destruction of electoral materials, manipulation of electoral processes and other breaches of the Electoral Act and related laws.
The organisation said the absence of a specialised and sufficiently expeditious mechanism for dealing with electoral offences has contributed to a culture of impunity in which some political actors allegedly treat electoral offences as part of the normal cost of political competition.
“The electoral process cannot be strengthened merely by changing voting technology. We must also strengthen the institutions that punish those who violate electoral laws.
“We need specialised Electoral Offences Tribunals at the federal and state levels with the capacity to investigate, prosecute and swiftly determine cases arising from electoral offences.
“Where perpetrators know that electoral violence and other violations will attract immediate and certain consequences, the incentive to deploy violence as a political strategy will be significantly reduced,” the CNPP said.
2027 Should Not Be About Political Gang-Up
The CNPP cautioned opposition political parties and political actors against reducing the 2027 political contest to a mere exercise in political arithmetic, coalition-building or opposition gang-up.
While acknowledging that coalitions, consensus arrangements and political mergers are legitimate features of democratic politics, the organisation said such arrangements must not become substitutes for a credible electoral process.
“What Nigerians need ahead of the 2027 general elections is not political gang-up for its own sake.
“Nigerians need a transparent, free, fair and credible electoral system capable of faithfully delivering the popular wishes of the electorate.
“Coalitions, consensus and mergers are legitimate democratic practices. Political parties have every right to negotiate, realign and form alliances. But none of these should distract attention from the fundamental issue: the integrity of the electoral process,” the CNPP said.
The organisation said political parties must therefore focus not only on who their candidates will be or which parties will merge, but also on building public confidence in elections and strengthening institutions responsible for conducting them.
The CNPP further urged INEC to strictly comply with the Electoral Act and its own published guidelines, insisting that electoral rules must be applied consistently to all political parties and candidates.
It added that the credibility of an election depends not only on the final declaration but on the fairness and transparency of every stage of the electoral process.
