By Helen Udo, Abuja -NIGERIA.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over his recent remark about the state of democracy in Nigeria. While speaking at an Iftar (break of fast) with the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), the President dismissed opposition criticism of his handling of the Electoral Act 2026 amendment, concluding that the “game is sweet if you are winning.”
But the opposition party has described the President’s reaction as cynical, saying it makes a mockery of democratic participation and reduces the serious business of government to a mere “game.”
In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party said the comment raises serious questions about the President’s democratic credentials and his understanding of the grave responsibilities of leadership at a time when millions of Nigerians are struggling with rising violence, unemployment, and widespread poverty across the country.
The full statement read:
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) strongly rejects President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent remarks, which cynically dismiss opposition objections to the Electoral Act 2026, while reducing the serious business of governance to a mere “game.”
Speaking at an Iftar with the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), the President, while attempting to explain his hasty assent to the much maligned Act, told the opposition to stop complaining and meet him at the polls. “The game is sweet only when you’re winning,” he concluded, triumphantly.
For a sitting President presiding over a country facing deep economic hardship and widespread insecurity, this remark is not only cynical, it is profoundly troubling. Perhaps more importantly, this remark also raises serious questions about the President’s democratic credentials and his understanding of the responsibilities that come with leadership in a constitutional democracy. Democracy is not a contest to be enjoyed by those in power; it is a system of governance built on accountability, respect for institutions, and responsibility to the people.
The President claims to be a democrat. But in reality, he has demonstrated more totalitarian tendencies than most dictators. The Electoral Act, which is, to all intents and purposes, designed to further emasculate the opposition, lower the nation’s ethical standard, and give President Tinubu a free pass to victory is something no true democrat would do. Yet, the President sees this as a game.
The President may go ahead and award himself victory over the political game, but there is no doubt that he is failing woefully in the game that matters most: providing leadership and improving the lives of citizens. Despite the APC’s near total control of the entire political structure in the country, the ruling party under President Tinubu has failed in its primary responsibility to everyday Nigerians whose lives and livelihoods they now consider a fair game.
It is important to therefore ask the President: Who exactly is winning in this so-called game? Are Nigerians winning when communities are attacked and citizens are killed? Are Nigerians winning when graduates cannot find jobs? Are Nigerians winning when families cannot afford food and basic necessities? Are Nigerians winning when the brightest young people see their future only outside their own country?
If politics is a game to the President, the Nigerian people are the ones paying the price. Nigeria does not need a gamer-in-chief. Nigeria needs a leader who understands the weight of the office he holds and the responsibility it carries. The presidency is not a prize to be enjoyed. It is a burden to be carried with competence and respect for the Nigerian people and the laws of the Federal Republic.
At this critical moment in Nigeria’s history, governance must never be trivialised. Too many lives depend on it.
Signed:
Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi
National Publicity Secretary
African Democratic Congress (ADC)
