Osun Senator Francis Fadahunsi Backtracks After Viral Video Allegedly Threatening Accord Party Members

Senator Francis Fadahunsi, representing Osun East, has claimed his comments in a viral video were metaphorical after he was seen directing supporters to kill members of the Accord Party in Ilesa ahead of the August 15 governorship election. In the video, which was recorded during a protest at the palace of the Owa Obokun of Ijesaland, the senator spoke in Yoruba and stated that if they saw Accord members up until the day of the election, it is killing. This occurred amid heightened tension following a shooting in the Imo area of Ilesa that left three people dead. While community sources linked the deaths to a clash between APC and Accord supporters, the Osun State Police Command attributed the violence to a cult related clash between Aiye and Eiye confraternities.

The Imole Campaign Council, which supports Governor Ademola Adeleke, condemned the senator's remarks as an open incitement to kill and called for his arrest and prosecution. The council further alleged that the senator threatened to prevent Accord supporters from voting regardless of their voter cards and claimed that political thugs and fake police officers were being moved into Ijesaland.

In a subsequent statement titled Kill Osun Accord with Votes, Not Violence, Senator Fadahunsi's media office clarified that the comments were a call for supporters to overwhelmingly reject the Accord Party at the ballot box through peaceful and democratic means. The statement asserted that the senator did not advocate for physical attacks and urged security agencies to ensure every eligible voter can exercise their rights without fear. The Nigeria Police Force previously noted that 30 people had been allegedly killed in pre election violence in Osun during July, stating that the involvement of some politicians could not be ruled out.