By BONIFACE AKARAH

International human rights lawyer Emmanuel Ogebe has described the outcome of the recent Osun State governorship election as a sign that Nigeria’s electoral democracy may still be capable of renewal, urging the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to build on the development.

Ogebe, in a statement released from Washington, said the election had challenged growing pessimism about the country’s electoral system, particularly following the appointment of INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN.

“People were too quick to write off the new INEC Chair Prof J Amupitan, SAN,” Ogebe said, describing the Osun election as evidence that “democratic hasn’t been extinguished yet.”

The lawyer said the outcome was particularly significant because, according to him, Osun resisted alleged financial inducements and did not move into the ruling party despite being a predominantly Yoruba state and the home state of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

He described the development as a “David and Goliath (or Davido and Goliath) battle,” arguing that the result demonstrated the capacity of voters to make independent political choices.

Ogebe, however, warned that the outcome should not lead to complacency, saying efforts must now be intensified to strengthen the credibility of future elections.

“We must now redouble efforts to concretize credible elections,” he said, particularly in response to what he described as claims by some political actors of dominance over citizens.

The lawyer also referred to allegations that some governors received millions of dollars to secure electoral support for the ruling party in their states in 2023, as well as claims that some states received substantial financial allocations to join the ruling party.

Those claims were presented by Ogebe as part of the wider political context surrounding Nigeria’s electoral process.

He said the Osun result offered an opportunity for INEC and other stakeholders to strengthen electoral safeguards and restore public confidence in democratic institutions.

Ogebe consequently urged the electoral commission to take advantage of the current momentum and pursue reforms capable of producing greater transparency and integrity in future elections.