The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has blamed President Bola Tinubu’s recent comments on political competition for the controversial remarks attributed to Senator Francis Fadahunsi ahead of Saturday’s Osun State governorship election.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, made the claim while speaking on Arise News on Wednesday.
Abdullahi said Fadahunsi may have interpreted President Tinubu’s statement that “all is fair in politics” as approval for political actors to use any means necessary to secure victory.
“I don’t want to blame Senator Fadahunsi. I blame President Bola Tinubu. He got his imprimatur for what he said from President Bola Tinubu. He got his authorisation from President Bola Tinubu,” he said.
Fadahunsi was on Wednesday invited to the Osun State Police Command for questioning over comments he made at an All Progressives Congress campaign rally in Ilesa.
The remarks were interpreted as encouraging supporters to attack members of the Accord Party.
Fadahunsi has, however, denied the allegation, saying what he meant was for his supporters to “kill Accord Party with their votes, not violence”.
Abdullahi Faults Tinubu
Abdullahi argued that statements by political leaders could influence how their supporters understand the limits of acceptable behaviour during elections.
“When the President of the Federal Republic says ‘all is fair in politics,’ it means that you can maim, you can kill, you can steal, you can do whatever it takes, just deliver victory,” he said.
He added that political leaders did not need to spell out every instruction because their statements could be interpreted by those who look up to them.
“A president doesn’t need to say everything. When a president says ‘all is fair in politics,’ you are authorising any kind of behaviour. A subordinate, someone who looks up to you, can interpret it anywhere they like,” Abdullahi said.
President Tinubu made the “all is fair in politics” remark on July 28 while receiving members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria at the Presidential Villa in Abuja during discussions on the 2027 political contest.
ADC Will Win Osun- Abdullahi
Meanwhile, Abdullahi expressed confidence that the ADC could win Saturday’s election if the poll is conducted transparently.
The party’s candidate, Najeem Salaam, is among those contesting the election alongside incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke and the APC candidate, Bola Oyebamiji.
“If this is going to be a free and fair election, ADC will win this election,” Abdullahi said.
The ADC spokesman also criticised the deployment of heavily armed security personnel across the state ahead of the election, describing the development as the “militarisation” of Osun’s political space.
He expressed concern that the presence of armed security personnel could affect the credibility of the electoral process.
Rafiyat Sadiq is a political, justice, and human rights reporter with Pinnacle Daily, known for fearless reporting and impactful storytelling. At Pinnacle Daily, she brings clarity and depth to issues shaping governance, democracy, and the protection of citizens’ rights.