The Senator representing Osun East Senatorial District, Francis Fadahunsi, and the All Progressives Congress candidate for Ifelodun/Boripe/Odo Otin Federal Constituency, Francis Eniade, have come under criticism following comments perceived as threats against members and supporters of the Accord Party ahead of Saturday’s governorship election in Osun State.
A video circulating on social media on Tuesday showed Fadahunsi speaking in Yoruba during a gathering in Ilesa, where he allegedly warned against the presence of Accord members in the town before the election.
Sources at the venue said the senator spoke at the palace of the Owa Obokun of Ijesaland during a protest organised over the alleged killing of three APC members in Ilesa.
In the video, Fadahunsi was heard making a statement interpreted as a threat against Accord supporters if they were seen in Ilesa before the election.
A separate video also showed Eniade addressing APC supporters at a campaign rally, where he allegedly urged non-APC members not to come out to vote in Odo Otin Local Government Area on election day.
The remarks triggered condemnation, with Governor Ademola Adeleke calling on security agencies to investigate and arrest Fadahunsi.
Addressing journalists in Osogbo, Adeleke said the senator’s comments could result in widespread violence and should no longer be treated as ordinary political rhetoric.
The governor said he had raised the matter with the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, and claimed that the police authorities had confirmed seeing the viral video and promised to take immediate action.
Adeleke also called on the Department of State Services and other security agencies to investigate what he described as an alleged incitement against the people of Ijesaland and Osun State.
The governor further alleged that some Accord leaders were being arrested by security operatives ahead of the election and claimed that there were instructions to transfer those arrested to Abuja until after the poll.
He urged the police to ensure that all political parties and their supporters were treated fairly, warning against any action capable of undermining the credibility of the election.
The spokesperson for the Adeleke Campaign Council, Pelumi Olajengbesi, also called on the police to investigate Fadahunsi’s comments.
Olajengbesi described the alleged threat as dangerous to the peaceful conduct of the August 15 election and urged the police authorities to intervene immediately.
Several Nigerians who reacted to the video online similarly demanded action against the senator, arguing that political disagreements should not be allowed to degenerate into threats against citizens.
However, Fadahunsi denied threatening Accord members and said his remarks had been taken out of context.
In a statement, the senator alleged that the video circulating online had been edited to distort his original message and portray him negatively.
Fadahunsi said he was referring to alleged attacks on APC members in Ilesa and other parts of the state, insisting that his remarks were made in response to what he described as repeated violence against members of his party.
He maintained that he was demanding justice for alleged victims of political violence and said APC members would defend themselves if further attacks occurred.
The senator also alleged that several APC members had been killed in recent incidents in Ilesa, calling on residents to reject violence and allow voters to freely exercise their franchise.
In a separate statement issued by his media office and titled, “Kill Osun Accord with Votes, Not Violence,” Fadahunsi described his controversial remark as a metaphorical call for voters to defeat the Accord Party at the ballot box.
The statement stressed that the senator did not support violence, intimidation or physical attacks against members of Accord or any other political party.
According to the statement, Fadahunsi’s position remained that the outcome of the election should be determined by voters through peaceful and democratic means.
The senator subsequently urged residents across Ijesaland to remain calm, shun violence and participate peacefully in Saturday’s governorship election.
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The controversy comes amid heightened political tension in Osun State ahead of the August 15 governorship poll, with parties and security agencies under increasing pressure to ensure a peaceful and credible election.
