A politician named Adolf Hitler is poised to win a local election in his home country, but has claimed his father had no idea about the infamous Nazi leader’s significance when he gave his son the controversial moniker.
Adolf Hitler Uunona, 59, is expected to secure a second term in the southwest African nation of Namibia on Nov. 26, holding his seat in the north of the country after previously garnering a staggering 85% of the vote in 2020.
The member of the left-wing Swapo party previously addressed his notorious name after making global headlines following his 2020 victory in the Ompundja constituency.
“My father probably didn’t understand what Adolf Hitler stood for. As a child, I saw it as a totally normal name,” the politician told German newspaper Bild in 2020.
‘Nothing to do with’ Nazi leader’s actions, says namesake
“Only as I grew up did I understand this man wanted to conquer the whole world. I have nothing to do with any of these things,” he added, distancing himself from the Nazi dictator’s heinous actions.
Uunona’s wife calls him Adolf, but in public, he normally omits the “Hitler” part of his name. Despite the controversy, he insisted he wouldn’t change his name.
“It’s in all official documents. It’s too late for that,” he told Bild, explaining why he has chosen to keep the contentious name.
As a former German colony, Namibia still has a lot of Germanic place names, and traditional names such as Adolf are not uncommon in the country.
Car spotted with “Adolf Hitler” and swastika, but politician denies connection
In 2020, a car was spotted in Uunona’s home region of Oshana with the name “Adolf Hitler” accompanied by a Nazi swastika on its rear window, sparking outrage and concern.
However, Uunona claimed the car wasn’t his and said he had no connection to the sick stunt, distancing himself from the disturbing display of Nazi symbolism.
The politician’s decision to keep his controversial name has raised eyebrows, but he maintains that it is a reflection of his father’s lack of understanding about the Nazi leader’s significance rather than any alignment with Hitler’s ideology or actions.
