Osun Politics: Osun People Beat 16 Govs, Showed Tinubu Can Be Defeated Before 2pm in 2027 — Isaac Fayose

Nigerian businessman and social commentator, Prince Isaac Fayose, has said the outcome of the Osun State governorship election demonstrated that President Bola Tinubu could be defeated in the 2027 presidential election if Nigerian youths unite.

Fayose made the claim in a video shared on his Facebook page on Sunday while reacting to the victory of Governor Ademola Adeleke in the August 15 governorship election.

The social commentator mocked the All Progressives Congress (APC) governors who travelled to Osun State to support the party’s governorship candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, during the election.

According to Fayose, the presence of several APC governors did not prevent Adeleke, who contested on the platform of the Accord Party, from securing re-election.

He attributed Adeleke’s victory to what he described as the resilience, determination and collective will of Osun voters.

“The Osun election has come and gone, and the people are the heroes of this election. With 16 APC governors in Osun, the party failed woefully. Shame caught them,” Fayose said.

He urged Nigerians to draw lessons from the Osun election, arguing that the collective power of voters could overcome the influence of political office holders.

Fayose also made a controversial comparison between Osun and Ekiti voters, alleging that residents of Ekiti were more likely to sell their votes.

“I love Osun people. They are not like Ekiti people. Ekiti people are vote sellers. When you look at what happened in Osun, you will see that the power of the people is greater than the power of the APC,” he said.

Fayose argued that the result demonstrated that political power ultimately belonged to the electorate and not elected officials or political parties.

“If Osun people can defeat 16 governors, it means all of us can defeat Tinubu before 2pm in the January elections. The power of the people is greater than the power of those in power,” he added.

He subsequently called on Nigerians, particularly youths, to unite ahead of the 2027 presidential election and work towards defeating President Tinubu.

Adeleke was declared the winner of the Osun governorship election after polling 511,067 votes, defeating APC candidate Oyebamiji, who scored 444,815 votes.

The result has generated competing interpretations among political actors, with opposition figures describing it as evidence of growing voter power ahead of 2027, while supporters of the ruling APC have rejected attempts to treat the outcome as a direct prediction of the presidential election.

Fayose’s comments add to the growing political debate over the significance of the Osun election as parties and political groups begin positioning themselves for the 2027 general elections.