Tinubu a lifelong democrat, says Sanwo-Olu

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has described President Bola Tinubu as a lifelong democrat committed to strengthening Nigeria’s democratic institutions.

Speaking on Thursday at the seventh annual lecture of Freedom Online in Ikeja, Lagos, the governor said Tinubu was determined to leave behind a stronger democracy than he inherited, both for Nigerians and as an example to Africa.

As reported by PM News, Sanwo-Olu made the remarks on Thursday at the seventh annual lecture organised by Freedom Online at the Sheraton Hotel in Ikeja, Lagos, where he spoke on Nigeria’s democratic development and preparations for the 2027 elections.

He cited the August 15 Osun governorship election, which was won by Governor Ademola Adeleke of another political party, as an indication of President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to democratic principles.

Adeleke defeated the APC candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, by more than 60,000 votes.

Sanwo-Olu said the outcome demonstrated that political power could change hands through the ballot without undermining the democratic process.

He said, “There was a time in this country when ‘federal might’ was a phrase that a ruling party used without irony.”

Describing Tinubu as a lifelong democrat, the governor said the President was committed to strengthening Nigeria’s democratic institutions.

“This President is a lifelong democrat, and he means to leave behind a stronger democracy than he inherited, not only for Nigerians but as an example to a continent that badly needs one,” Sanwo-Olu said.

Tinubu had congratulated Adeleke after the Osun election, describing his victory as a “fitting assurance” that democracy would continue to flourish under his administration.

The President later met with Adeleke at the Presidential Villa in Abuja and urged him to unite the state.

Sanwo-Olu also commended electoral reforms and the use of technology, but stressed that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) must be fully prepared for the 2027 elections.

“INEC must be ready in every polling unit on the 16th of January and again on the 6th of February, and each of us has a duty to help it be ready,” he said.

The governor warned politicians against violence and electoral malpractice, saying no political ambition justified the loss of life.

“A mandate is only as strong as the process that produced it. No office in this land is worth the life of a single Nigerian and no victory won by the wrong means is a victory at all,” he said.

He also urged voters to assess political leaders based on their performance and called on the media to hold politicians accountable, regardless of their political affiliation.

“I am not asking for a compliant press,” Sanwo-Olu said.

“A compliant press is of no use to a democracy; it flatters the powerful and abandons the public.

“I am asking for a rigorous press. Check the facts, mine included. Call out disinformation wherever it comes from, including from my own side.”

He warned that misinformation and manipulated content could pose a growing threat ahead of the 2027 elections.

“In the weeks ahead, the most dangerous lies will not come from newspapers. They will come from anonymous accounts and doctored videos and you are the institution best placed to answer them,” he said.