Former Anambra State Governor and 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has urged Nigerians to remember those who lost their lives during incidents surrounding the Osun State governorship election.
Obi, in a statement shared on his official X account on Monday, congratulated Governor Ademola Adeleke on his re-election in the August 15, 2026 poll, while stressing that electoral victories should never come at the expense of human lives.
Adeleke, according to the results cited by Obi, secured 511,067 votes to defeat the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, who polled 444,815 votes.
While celebrating the outcome, Obi called for the identification of families of those who died during the campaign and voting periods so that they could receive condolences, support and appropriate compensation, irrespective of their political affiliations.
“While celebrating, let us also remember those who paid the ultimate price for democracy,” Obi said.
He described the election as an affirmation of the principle that political power belongs to the people, saying voters had expressed their choice through the ballot.
Obi, however, warned that no political triumph was worth the loss of Nigerian lives, calling for a more mature democratic culture anchored on issue-based campaigns and respect for the rule of law.
“Elections should be about the people, their choices, and their aspirations, and not about the loss of precious lives,” he said.
He urged political actors to ensure that future elections are conducted peacefully, stressing that political differences should be resolved through democratic processes rather than violence.
“No political victory is worth the blood of a Nigerian,” Obi stated, while offering prayers and condolences to families who lost loved ones during the electoral period.
He concluded by expressing optimism that Nigeria’s democracy could mature to a stage where elections would no longer result in the loss of lives, adding that “a New Nigeria is POssible.”
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