Nigerian comedian and social commentator, Freedom Atsepoyi, popularly known as Mr Jollof, has condemned former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, over his controversial “rig and die” remark ahead of the 2027 general elections, insisting that anyone accused of election rigging should face the law rather than violence.
Omo-Agege recently sparked widespread reactions after declaring that anyone who attempts to rig the 2027 elections in Delta State would die, a statement that has continued to attract criticism from political observers and members of the public.
Reacting in a video, Mr Jollof warned that such comments could be misinterpreted by overzealous supporters and fuel election-related violence.
He said: “Nobody has the constitutional right to take another person’s life, even if the person rigs an election. The law should take its course. Because things are not favouring you now, does that mean it should become a do-or-die affair?
“So, sir, don’t preach something that shouldn’t be preached. The way things are now, our people can be overzealous. Someone may not even be rigging an election; the person could just be walking by, or someone might be angry because you don’t belong to the same political party. They could end up killing that person and claiming it was because of election rigging.”
The comedian said political leaders, particularly those occupying or who have occupied high public offices, should avoid statements capable of inciting violence during elections.
“So, when you make such statements as a senator and elder statesman, at your age, there are certain things you shouldn’t say,” he added.
Mr Jollof stressed that his comments were not intended as an insult to the former deputy senate president but as a correction of what he described as an inappropriate statement.
“I’m not trying to insult you, our senator. I cannot insult you because you have close ties with people who are close to me. However, I’m only correcting what you said. When you point a finger at someone, you should look carefully because the other fingers are pointing back at you.
“Because when your men were involved in what you described as ‘rig and die’ during the 2023 election, I hope you didn’t deprive someone of the opportunity to represent the people.”