Kill Accord Members” — Fadahunsi Reacts To Controversial Osun Election Threat

The senator representing Osun East Senatorial District, Francis Fadahunsi, has clarified his controversial “Kill Accord” remark, insisting that he was referring to defeating the Accord Party at the polls and not advocating violence against its members.

Fadahunsi came under criticism after a video circulated on social media showing him addressing supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ilesa ahead of the August 15 Osun State governorship election.

In the video, the senator, who spoke in Yoruba, accused supporters of the Accord Party of attacking APC members. Some of his comments were subsequently interpreted by viewers as a call for confrontation.

Fadahunsi was also seen challenging members of the gathering to record his remarks and share them online.

Amid the controversy, the senator’s media office issued a statement in Osogbo on Tuesday titled “Kill Osun Accord with Votes, Not Violence, Senator Fadahunsi Tells APC.”

The statement explained that Fadahunsi’s remarks were intended as a political expression urging APC supporters to defeat the Accord Party through their votes.

According to the media office, the statement was:

“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.”

The statement further clarified:

“For the avoidance of doubt, the Senator’s statement was purely political and metaphorical.”

Fadahunsi’s media team maintained that the senator never called for physical attacks against Accord Party 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 Party or any other political party,” the statement said.

It stressed that the senator’s position remained that political contests should be determined through the ballot box rather than force.

“His consistent position has always been that elections should be decided by the votes of the people and not by force,” it added.

The senator also appealed to political parties, their supporters and voters to maintain peace before, during and after the election.

“The Senator, therefore, urges political actors, party supporters and the electorate to conduct themselves peacefully before, during and after the election,” the statement said.

Fadahunsi further called on security agencies to maintain professionalism and ensure that voters can exercise their constitutional rights without fear or intimidation.

“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,” the statement added.

The media office said Fadahunsi remained committed to democratic principles, issue-based campaigns and a credible electoral process.

“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,” it said.

The senator’s media team subsequently appealed to members of the public not to interpret or deliberately distort his remarks as an endorsement of violence.

“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.