Arise Television’s The Morning Show anchor, Rufai Oseni, has accused the Nigerian Government of applying double standards in its handling of inflammatory and controversial statements.
Oseni made the allegation on Thursday while reacting to the controversy surrounding Senator Francis Fadahunsi’s alleged remark about killing members of the Accord Party ahead of the Osun State governorship election.
Fadahunsi had denied the allegation, claiming that the viral video containing the statement was manipulated using artificial intelligence. However, Oseni faulted the explanation, noting that the senator later appeared to suggest that he was referring to defeating his opponents through votes.
The broadcaster argued that the police had sufficient grounds to investigate and potentially prosecute the senator if the government was genuinely committed to curbing hate speech and inflammatory rhetoric.
He said Fadahunsi should have been given the opportunity to defend himself after interrogation, regardless of whether the matter eventually resulted in a conviction.
Oseni, however, expressed doubts that the senator would face serious consequences, arguing that Nigerians who make controversial statements often escape punishment depending on their political, religious, ethnic or other affiliations.
He cited the cases of Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi and convicted Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader Nnamdi Kanu as examples of what he described as unequal treatment.
“The hypocrisy on which the country lives is that there are some that cannot say it. An example goes back to the case of the likes of Sheikh Gumi.
“They can say some things and get away with it. If you are probably an Nnamdi Kanu, you cannot say some things. That’s how the country is structured,” Oseni said.
The broadcaster also linked Nigeria’s political and religious divisions to the controversy over the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket adopted by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 election.
Oseni said he opposed the arrangement because he believed political leadership in a multi-religious country should reflect religious balance and fairness.
He further referenced a leaked audio involving former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi and Bishop David Oyedepo, in which Obi described the 2023 presidential election as a “religious war.”
According to Oseni, subsequent comments attributed to Sheikh Gumi appeared to reinforce concerns about the influence of religion on Nigerian politics.
He maintained that the consequences of controversial statements in Nigeria often depend on the identity and affiliations of the person making them.
“So, what is said in Nigeria depends on where you are when you said it, your political affiliation, your religious affiliation, your racial affiliation, your tribal affiliation, that’s just it,” he said.
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