Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has described President Bola Tinubu’s reaction to the outcome of the recent Osun State governorship election as a major indication that Nigeria’s democracy is becoming more mature.

Sanwo-Olu said this on Thursday while speaking at the seventh annual lecture of Freedom Online, where he reflected on the August 15 governorship election in Osun State and its implications for Nigeria’s democratic development.

The governor pointed out that the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the party controlled at the federal level, lost the election to the incumbent governor, Ademola Adeleke, who contested on the platform of the Accord Party.

According to Sanwo-Olu, despite the defeat of the APC candidate, President Tinubu did not challenge the outcome or attempt to interfere with the process.

He said the President instead contacted Adeleke the following day to congratulate him on his victory and urged him to unite the people of Osun State.

Sanwo-Olu noted that Adeleke won the election by more than 60,000 votes, describing the President’s response to the result as significant for the country’s democratic journey.

He said, “About 19-20 days ago, on the 15th of August, the people of Osun State elected a governor. The candidate of my party, the President’s party, lost.

“The incumbent, Governor Ademola Adeleke, of a different party, won by more than 60,000 votes. The President did not sulk and he did not equivocate. He picked up the telephone the following day, congratulated the winner, urged him to unite the state, and thanked INEC and the security agencies for a peaceful and transparent election.”

The Lagos governor also highlighted Adeleke’s public appreciation of Tinubu following the election, saying the development suggested that the electoral process had provided room for contestants to compete fairly.

Sanwo-Olu argued that the situation would have been difficult to imagine during periods when political leaders openly relied on what was commonly described as “federal might” to influence elections.

He said the fact that the ruling party could lose an election in the South-West without the Federal Government attempting to overturn the result was evidence of democratic progress.

“Under this President, the ruling party can lose a state, in the South-West, in an election year, and the sky does not fall. That is what a maturing democracy looks like,” he said.

The Lagos governor further described Tinubu as a lifelong democrat who, according to him, is committed to strengthening Nigeria’s democratic institutions and leaving behind a stronger democratic system.

“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.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Adeleke the winner of the August 15 election after he secured 511,067 votes to defeat the APC candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, who polled 444,815 votes.

Adeleke subsequently acknowledged Tinubu’s role in the electoral process, saying the President’s congratulatory call demonstrated a commitment to the survival of democracy.

Tinubu had also urged Adeleke, following his victory, to unite the people of Osun State and focus on reconciliation, stability and development irrespective of their political affiliations.