Safety without power strategy?

Can you play the safety without power on someone else? Let’s say that someone has an idol, the votes are split 4:4. You don’t know who the other side is targeting on your side. So, you play “safety without power” on one of their numbers that might have an idol. Boom! Idol is out of play, they are down by a vote. I don’t know if that is legal. Anybody know? Also, what good is that advantage other than the obvious? What’re your ideas?