Oyo Senator Under Fire: 'Use What You Have' Viral Video Sparks Outrage and Political Defense
A viral video showing Oyo State APC governorship candidate Senator Sharafadeen Alli with a student on his lap has ignited significant controversy and accusations of abuse of power. His campaign organization has defended the incident as a "fatherly gesture" due to a crowded office, dismissing the backlash as political blackmail. The incident has sparked debate over the interaction's context and the candidate's controversial remarks.
A viral video, circulated widely on social media on Wednesday, September 2, depicted Senator Sharafadeen Alli, the Oyo State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, with a male student of The Polytechnic, Ibadan, sitting on his lap, while briefly patting the individual's leg. This incident initially sparked mild amusement among Nigerians but quickly escalated into widespread outrage after the young man was identified as a student representative from the institution's Department of Banking and Finance. Viewers subsequently accused the act of being an abuse of power.
According to the campaign organization of Senator Alli, a delegation of students had visited his Mokola campaign office in Ibadan to conduct an interview and extend an invitation to an upcoming departmental program. The organization explained that the office was crowded upon the students' arrival, leading to insufficient seating. To ensure the interview could proceed without delay, Senator Alli reportedly asked one of the students to sit on his lap, an action the campaign described as a "spontaneous and fatherly gesture," emphatically denying any inappropriate undertone or intention.
The video further showed the student, who appeared tense and held his fingers in a fist, reading questions from his phone. During the interaction, Senator Alli was observed rubbing the young man's thigh. When asked about unemployment and his approach to resolving it if elected governor, Alli responded, while continuing to rub the student's thigh, "Well, you're going to use what you have to get what you want, to leverage on whatever we have in the state."
This statement, combined with the physical interaction, intensified the controversy. While many blamed the Senator for his conduct, some also criticized the student for not ending the interaction. However, a significant portion of the public defended the student, characterizing him as the powerless party in an uncomfortable situation.
Senator Alli's campaign organization strongly rejected the online narratives surrounding the video, labeling the backlash as "cheap political blackmail" intended to mislead the electorate. They clarified that Alli's statement, "You have to use what you have to get what you want," referred to leveraging available opportunities, resources, and abilities to achieve legitimate objectives, not to the physical interaction depicted. The campaign urged the public and media to consider the full context of the incident, criticizing platforms that circulated the footage with provocative captions. They maintained that political criticism should focus on policies, records, competence, and development in the 2027 governorship contest, asserting that Senator Alli would continue his engagement with young people and stakeholders across Oyo State.