By Olumide Akinrinlola
If you think the recent Osun State 2026 governorship election was just a normal fight between Governor Ademola Adeleke and the APC, you are missing the bigger picture. What happened in Osun was not standard politics. It was a clear example of how those in power use intimidation and tricks to control the result. This should worry every voter as we look toward the 2027 general elections.
Just days before the voting started, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) froze the Osun State government bank accounts. They claimed they were investigating fraud, but let’s be real: stopping a sitting governor from using his state’s money right before an election is a calculated move to cripple his campaign. Even President Bola Tinubu had to step in and order the accounts to be opened, admitting that the timing looked wrong. This makes us wonder: is the EFCC truly fighting corruption, or is it being used as a weapon to help certain politicians win?
While the politicians were busy on the ground, the drama went global. Music star Davido took to social media to call on US President Donald Trump to intervene in the Osun election. Think about how desperate that is. A famous Nigerian singer felt he could not trust the Nigerian police or our own leaders, so he went straight to a foreign president for help. This shows a dangerous truth: many young Nigerians have lost all faith in our own institutions. When people feel that only a foreign leader can save them from local bullies, it means our democracy is failing.
We cannot look at Osun alone. This election happened at the same time as reports of a plot against the government, caused by anger over the high cost of living and the removal of the petrol subsidy. To keep the military on their side, the federal government quickly promised an 80% pay rise for junior soldiers. The tension we saw in Osun, including gunfire at voting centres, was a sign that those in power are nervous. They did everything they could to stop Governor Ademola Adeleke, but he still won. This shows that the people in power underestimated how angry and hungry the average voter has become.
The lesson from Osun is that “Federal Might” is no longer a sure way to win. However, it also shows how far the government is willing to go, using anti-graft agencies and security forces, just to hold onto power. If an election today requires freezing state funds, giving soldiers pay raises, and having pop stars beg foreign presidents for help, then Nigeria is no longer practicing true democracy. We are watching a takeover where the ordinary people are the ones losing out.
Osun was just a warning. If we continue to accept a system where state institutions are used as weapons and voters are treated like pawns, we aren’t just losing an election, we are losing our country. The corporate takeover is complete; it is time for the shareholders, the people to decide if they are ready to take their country back.
Olumide Akinrinlola is the Publisher of Starnews NG
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