The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has taken aim at President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over a comment many see as trivialising Nigeria’s democracy.
Speaking at an Iftar with the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), the President dismissed opposition criticism of the Electoral Act 2026 amendment, remarking, “the game is sweet only when you’re winning.”
The opposition party described the statement as deeply cynical, arguing that it reduces governance to a mere “game” and undermines the essence of democratic participation.
ADC, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, said the comment raises serious questions about the President’s democratic credentials and his grasp of the responsibilities of leadership at a time when Nigerians are grappling with escalating violence, unemployment, and widespread poverty.
ADC said: “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.”
ADC said that 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,” ADC said.
The party said that 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 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.”
