Senator Francis Fadahunsi has denied encouraging violence against members of the Accord Party, explaining that his controversial “Kill Accord” comment was a reference to defeating the party at the polls.
The Osun East Senatorial District lawmaker came under scrutiny after a video of him speaking in Yoruba surfaced online ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
In the footage, Fadahunsi accused members of the Accord Party of attacking APC supporters and made remarks that were interpreted by some as a call for supporters to confront members of the opposition party in Ilesa.
The senator has now offered an explanation through his media office, saying his choice of words was political and should not be interpreted as an instruction to attack anyone.
In a statement released in Osun on Tuesday and titled ‘Kill Osun Accord with Votes, Not Violence, Senator Fadahunsi Tells APC,’ his media team described the comment as “a call on supporters to overwhelmingly reject the Accord Party at the ballot box through lawful, peaceful and democratic means during the August 15 governorship election.”
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Senator’s statement was purely political and metaphorical,” the statement added.
Fadahunsi’s office further said the senator had no intention of promoting violence, intimidation or physical confrontation during the election.
It said, “At no point did Senator Fadahunsi advocate violence, intimidation or any form of physical attack against members or supporters of the Accord Party or any other political party. His consistent position has always been that elections should be decided by the votes of the people and not by force.
“The Senator, therefore, urges political actors, party supporters and the electorate to conduct themselves peacefully before, during and after the election. He also calls on security agencies to remain professional and ensure that every eligible voter is able to exercise their constitutional right without fear or intimidation.
“Senator Fadahunsi remains committed to democratic values, issue-based campaigns and a credible electoral process. He believes that the will of the people, freely expressed through the ballot, must always prevail.
“We, therefore, appeal to members of the public not to misinterpret or deliberately distort the Senator’s comments, as they were clearly intended to encourage electoral victory through the power of the ballot and not through violence,” the statement concluded.
The clarification followed a call by the campaign organisation of Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke for the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, to investigate the senator’s remarks and take appropriate action.
The governor’s campaign team had raised concerns over the statement and its possible implications for the safety of Accord Party members ahead of the election.