“THE SCANDALISATION OF SHARAFADEEN ALLI:” When Political Opposition Becomes Character Assassination | By Wale Ojo-Lanre Esq

There is a dangerous difference between scrutinising a politician and scandalising a human being.

Unfortunately, as the political temperature rises ahead of the 2027 governorship election in Oyo State, that distinction appears to be disappearing.

Senator Sharafadeen Alli has suddenly found himself at the centre of a controversy arising from a video showing a student sitting on his lap during an interaction with students of The Polytechnic, Ibadan.

And from that brief scene, an industry of insinuation has emerged.

Sexual meanings have been manufactured. Motives have been imputed. Character conclusions have been drawn. Social media has done what it increasingly does best: take a moment, detach it from its circumstances, attach the most sensational interpretation possible and invite the public to pronounce judgment.

But where exactly is the evidence of wrongdoing?

I have watched the controversy with considerable concern because I know Senator Sharafadeen Alli.

And I say this without equivocation: the Sharafadeen Alli I know is a decent man.

I know how he relates with people. I know his regard for journalists and journalism. I know his respect for people irrespective of status. He is accessible, courteous and remarkably accommodating.

That does not make him infallible.

Neither does my knowledge of him mean that his actions should be immune from criticism. Anyone aspiring to govern Oyo State must expect scrutiny, perhaps even more intense scrutiny than the ordinary citizen.

But scrutiny must still be anchored on facts.

An Awkward Optic Is Not Evidence of Sexual Misconduct

Let us confront the video rather than run away from it.

Could someone argue that allowing an adult student to sit on the lap of a governorship candidate during an interview was unnecessary?

Certainly.

Could political handlers have avoided such an image?

Absolutely.

Public figures must constantly remember that the camera has no sense of humour, affection, spontaneity or context. It captures a fraction of a second and leaves interpretation to millions of people who were not present.

But there is an enormous intellectual distance between saying:

“Senator, that was politically unwise.”

and declaring:

“This proves something sexually improper about Senator Alli.”

The first is criticism.

The second requires evidence.

And that evidence has not been presented.

According to the explanation from Senator Alli’s campaign, the students had visited him to seek support for their programme and conduct an interview. The number of people present exceeded the available seats, and the student sitting on his lap arose from that circumstance.

People may accept or question that explanation.

But anyone alleging something more sinister carries the responsibility of producing evidence for the allegation.

We cannot build a decent society upon innuendo.

Must Everything Be Sexualised?

Something else troubles me deeply about this episode.

What exactly has happened to our interpretation of ordinary human relationships?

Must every touch have a sexual meaning?

Must every embrace become evidence of intimacy?

Must affection between two men automatically acquire a sexual interpretation?

Must a politician cease being human simply because an election approaches?

African society historically accommodated enormous physical expressions of friendship, fraternity, respect and affection without immediately attaching sexuality to them.

It is therefore dangerous when social media begins imposing sexual interpretations upon every unconventional physical interaction.

And when that interpretation is deployed principally because the person involved is a political opponent, we have crossed from political criticism into something uglier.

Politics Must Not Become Character Assassination

Senator Alli is not merely another politician in Oyo State today. He is the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress and therefore a major contender for the 2027 election.

That naturally makes him a target of political scrutiny.

His ideas should be interrogated.

His legislative record should be examined.

His promises should be challenged.

His competence should be debated.

His antecedents should be investigated.

His vision for Oyo State should be placed beside those of his opponents and subjected to rigorous examination.

That is democracy.

But rummaging through photographs and videos looking for moments capable of being sexualised, scandalised or distorted is something different.

That is not an interrogation of governance.

It is an assault on reputation.

Criticise Alli — But Criticise Him Fairly

If Senator Sharafadeen Alli wants to govern Oyo State, ask him difficult questions.

Ask him what he will do differently.

Ask him about education.

Ask him about agriculture.

Ask him about tourism.

Ask him about healthcare.

Ask him about local government administration.

Ask him about infrastructure.

Ask him how he intends to create employment and expand Oyo State’s economy.

Ask him to account for his years in public service.

Those are questions worthy of a governorship election.

If he fails those tests, reject him at the ballot box.

But do not manufacture a sexual scandal where evidence of one has not been established.

That is neither politics nor journalism.

Journalism Must Be Especially Careful

I am particularly concerned about the responsibility of journalists and media organisations.

I have spent a substantial part of my life in journalism, and one principle remains sacred to me:”A man’s reputation is also a fact that journalism must handle responsibly.

The fact that something is viral does not automatically make it newsworthy in the form social media has presented it.

The journalist must ask:

What happened before this clip?

What happened afterwards?

Who recorded it?

Who was the student?

What was the purpose of the visit?

Is there a longer recording?

What does the person allegedly affected say happened?

These questions separate journalism from gossip.

We must be careful that political actors do not convert journalists into distributors of weaponised insinuations.

Let The Student Speak, If Necessary

There is also a simple way to remove much of the mystery surrounding this controversy.

The young man in the video is alive.

He has a voice.

If he considers it appropriate, let him tell Nigerians what happened.

If he felt violated, intimidated or sexually harassed, let him say so.

And if nothing of that nature occurred, his dignity should equally be respected rather than having strangers on social media construct a sexual narrative around him.

Ironically, those claiming to protect the student may themselves be violating his dignity by publicly sexualising an encounter he may never have regarded as sexual.

That possibility deserves consideration.

We Have Seen The Danger Before

This latest episode should also be considered against a broader political environment in which grave allegations have previously circulated around Senator Alli.

Earlier this year, reports attempted to connect him with the kidnapping of the sister of former Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu and her children.

It was an extraordinarily serious allegation.

Senator Alli denied it emphatically.

Subsequent reports concerning the police investigation indicated that investigators found no connection between him and the kidnapping.

That should teach all of us something.

Political allegations travel at the speed of light.

Exoneration usually travels on foot.

By the time the truth catches up, reputations may already have been battered.

That is why society must resist the temptation to convict people through hashtags, edited videos and insinuations.

I Know The Man

I return to where I started.

I know Sharafadeen Alli.

I have interacted with him sufficiently to form an impression of his disposition towards people and institutions.

I particularly know his respect for journalists and journalism.

He understands engagement. He listens. He accords people dignity.

The man I know is decent, accessible and respectful.

But my defence of him here is actually bigger than Sharafadeen Alli.

Today it is Alli.

Tomorrow it could be anybody.

Once we establish a political culture in which an ambiguous photograph, an awkward gesture or a few seconds of video can be converted into allegations capable of destroying a lifetime’s reputation, none of us is safe from malicious interpretation.

Let Oyo Decide On Issues

The coming Oyo State governorship election deserves better.

Oyo is too sophisticated.

Ibadan is too intellectually endowed.

Our political history is too rich.

Our journalism tradition is too distinguished.

Let those who oppose Senator Sharafadeen Alli defeat him with superior arguments.

Let them expose weaknesses in his programmes.

Let them interrogate his record.

Let them present a better candidate and a better vision.

But let nobody substitute character assassination for political competition.

Senator Alli himself should also learn from this episode.

In contemporary politics, innocence of intention is not enough; public perception matters. A person seeking the highest political office in Oyo State must be extraordinarily conscious of optics because opponents are waiting for precisely such moments.

So, yes, Senator:

Be more careful.

But to those converting an awkward human moment into something sordid without evidence, I say:

Stop it.

Politics should contest ideas, records and visions — not manufacture sexuality from body language.

Criticise Sharafadeen Alli where criticism is deserved.

Question him relentlessly.

Hold him accountable.

But do not scandalise him merely because there is an election to win.

Political opposition is legitimate. Character assassination is not.
But to those desperately trying to manufacture something sordid from this episode:

Stop the bad propaganda against Senator Sharafadeen Alli.

Drop the bad card.

Senator Sharafadeen Alli is a decent man. I know him. I vouch for his decency.