The African Democratic Congress has linked the controversial comments made by Senator Francis Fadahunsi ahead of Saturday’s Osun State governorship election to a recent statement by President Bola Tinubu on political contests.

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, made the allegation during an interview on Arise News on Wednesday, saying the President’s remark could have been misunderstood by politicians as approval to use questionable tactics to win elections.

Abdullahi said he would rather hold Tinubu responsible than condemn Fadahunsi, who represents Osun East Senatorial District.

According to him, Fadahunsi may have drawn confidence from the President’s declaration that “all is fair in politics” when making his comments at an APC campaign rally in Ilesa.

The senator was subsequently invited by the Osun State Police Command for questioning after his remarks were interpreted as a threat against members of the Accord Party.

Abdullahi argued that statements from the President could influence the conduct of political supporters, particularly when they believe such comments give them freedom to pursue electoral victory by any means.

He said Tinubu’s July 28 statement was made while the President was receiving members of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

Tinubu had warned his political opponents ahead of the 2027 presidential election that he would resist any attempt to remove him from office, describing the democratic contest as one where “all is fair.”

With political parties already positioning themselves for the 2027 elections, Abdullahi said such remarks should be carefully considered because of their potential impact on political behaviour.

The ADC spokesman also expressed confidence in his party’s chances in Saturday’s election, saying its candidate, Najeem Salaam, could defeat the other contenders if the poll was conducted transparently.

He, however, criticised the level of security deployment across Osun, describing the presence of heavily armed personnel in the political space as “militarisation” and a threat to public confidence in the election.

“If this is going to be a free and fair election, ADC will win this election,” Abdullahi declared.