The senator representing Osun East Senatorial District, Francis Fadahunsi, and the All Progressives Congress candidate for the Ifelodun/Boripe/Odo Otin Federal Constituency in the 2027 elections, Francis Eniade, have faced criticism over separate remarks interpreted as threats against members and supporters of the Accord Party ahead of Saturday’s Osun governorship election.
A video circulated on social media on Tuesday showed Fadahunsi speaking in Yoruba and threatening to deal with an Accord member seen in Ilesha before the election.
Sources who witnessed the incident said that senator spoke at the palace of the Owa Obokun of Ijesaland in Ilesa during a protest following the alleged killing of three APC members in the town.
Fadahunsi said, “How many people have you seen the APC kill? We are here to tell you that until the day of the election, if we see any Accord member in Ilesa, we will kill him.”
In a separate video that also surfaced on Tuesday, Eniade, while speaking at a campaign rally, reportedly warned Accord supporters against coming out to vote in Odo Otin Local Government Area on election day.
Eniade said, “I was only waiting for today before I talked. I swear to God, anyone who is not an APC member should not come out on election day.
If you said you won’t listen to us, we have warned you ahead. All the votes in Odo-Otin belong to the APC.
“Tell Egbedun (Osun House of Assembly Speaker) that I don’t have his time. I am his elder brother. Accord can’t vote in Odo-Otin. I am the one who said so.
“To the APC members, go back to your ward and unit and tell them that anybody who is not an APC member should not come out to vote.”
Reacting to Fadahunsi’s remarks, Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke called for his arrest, warning that the senator’s comments could trigger widespread violence and loss of lives.
Adeleke said he had brought the matter to the attention of the Inspector General of Police, Olatunji Disu, and requested that Fadahunsi be investigated and arrested. According to the governor, the police chief confirmed seeing the video and promised immediate action.
“The second issue has to do with the viral video of a serving senator, Francis Fadahunsi, who today called for the killing of Accord leaders, supporters and their families.
“In the video, the senator even threatened that where they cannot get Accord leaders, they should kill their wives and children.
“This is now beyond politics. This is now a national security threat that requires the attention of Mr President through the Office of the National Security Adviser,” the governor said.
Adeleke also urged the police and the Department of State Services to arrest Fadahunsi over what he described as an alleged “incitement to genocide against the people of Ijesaland and Osun State.”
The governor further alleged that a police signal had ordered the immediate arrest of Accord leaders in Osun State, claiming that those detained were to be transferred to Abuja and held until after the election.
He argued that, if true, such an operation would amount to an attempt to deploy the police to influence the outcome of the governorship election.
Adeleke also demanded an end to what he described as the “illegal operations” of the Intelligence Response Team, alleging that its operatives had been arresting Accord leaders across various local government areas without justification.
“We demand that the IGP enforce due process and fair policing by aborting all anti-people plots against democracy in Osun State.
“We finally request that the police and other security agencies should act in line with the rule of law and their oath of office before, during and after these coming elections,” Adeleke said.
The Adeleke campaign council also called on the Inspector General of Police to investigate Fadahunsi over the viral footage and take appropriate action.
The campaign council’s spokesperson, Pelumi Olajengbesi, urged the police to intervene, warning that the remarks could threaten lives and disrupt the peaceful conduct of the August 15 election.
“This is a serious threat to lives and the peaceful conduct of the August 15 election.
“Mr Inspector-General of Police, this must be addressed immediately. Nobody has the right to kill an Accord member or any citizen. Nobody has the right to stop Osun people from voting. Enough is enough!” Olajengbesi said.
The senator’s remarks also attracted reactions from Nigerians on social media, with several users calling for police intervention.
An Osun indigene, Wale Akintoye, questioned why the police had yet to act on the comments, describing them as a threat to citizens’ lives.
Another social media user, Adenike Bekky, argued that political disagreements should not lead to threats against citizens.
“Why should anyone be threatened or harmed simply because they chose not to decamp with you? Politics should never be a matter of life and death. We cannot all face the same direction, and political differences should never be a reason to threaten the lives of citizens,” she said.
Fadahunsi: I Was Misinterpreted
Fadahunsi later denied that his remarks were intended as a call for violence, arguing that the viral video had been edited to portray him negatively.
In a statement he personally signed, Fadahunsi said, “My attention has been drawn to an edited video being circulated by Davido on TikTok and Pelumi Olajengbesi on other social media platforms.
“The video was deliberately edited to distort what I actually said. What I said was that if the alleged killing of our party members by Accord thugs does not stop, our party will retaliate. I was referring to the continued violence and attacks against our members in Ilesa and other parts of the state.
“I made reference to one Rogba, who was killed in Esa-Oke by his co-cultists. The governor had referred to the deceased as his son and was also engaged in a disagreement with a sitting member of the House of Representatives on live television.
“My statement was very clear: if the killings do not stop, we shall also retaliate. We are here to lodge complaints and demand justice.
“It is unacceptable for human beings to kill fellow human beings the way our members are allegedly being killed in Ilesa.
“All those being killed are Nigerians and, indeed, sons and daughters of the same communities. I stated unequivocally that if our party members are killed again, we will not simply fold our arms and watch.
“We will defend our people, even if such an incident occurs on election day.
“Unfortunately, Davido and Olajengbesi took less than two minutes from a speech that lasted about 24 minutes and circulated it to achieve cheap political objectives. This is a clear case of deliberate misrepresentation and manipulation.”
Fadahunsi also claimed that three young men had been killed at Kajola Junction, Imo, Ilesa, on Monday.
“Shockingly, while we were preparing for our rally in Ilesa this morning, reports also emerged that more than eight young people were allegedly murdered in cold blood in the Igbogi area of Ilesa.
“As of the time of this protest, more than 12 members of the All Progressives Congress had reportedly been killed, yet there has been no adequate statement from the state government condemning these incidents and assuring citizens of their safety.
“We cannot continue on this dangerous path. Elections should be about ideas, policies and the choice of the people, not violence and bloodshed,” he said.
He appealed to residents and eligible voters across Ijesaland to remain peaceful, reject violence and participate in Saturday’s election by voting for candidates of their choice.
In a separate statement issued by his media office on Tuesday and titled ‘Kill Osun Accord with Votes, Not Violence, Senator Fadahunsi Tells APC,’ the senator’s camp described his viral remark as “a call on supporters to overwhelmingly reject the Accord at the ballot box through lawful, peaceful and democratic means during the August 15 governorship election.”
The statement added, “For the avoidance of doubt, the senator’s statement was purely political and metaphorical.”
It further maintained that Fadahunsi’s comments should not be interpreted as support for violence against Accord members or supporters.
“At no point did Senator Fadahunsi advocate violence, intimidation or any form of physical attack against members or supporters of the Accord 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,” it read.
