The All Progressives Congress (APC) has said the police would determine whether comments attributed to Senator Francis Fadahunsi of Osun East concerning death threats against Accord Party members.
National Publicity Secretary of APC, Felix Morka, stated this on Wednesday while speaking on the controversy over remarks made by Fadahunsi at an APC campaign rally in Ilesa.
Politics Nigeria recalls that Fadahunsi was heard in a viral video making comments that were widely interpreted as a call for supporters to attack members of the Accord Party ahead of Saturday’s governorship election.
However, Morka said it was not the responsibility of political parties or individuals to determine whether the senator’s statement amounted to a criminal offence.
“I don’t think it’s for any of us, yourself, myself, even the party, to be second-guessing what was said or didn’t say. That is the job of the police,” he said.
The APC spokesman noted that Fadahunsi had honoured the police invitation and was questioned over the controversial remarks, saying the authorities should establish the context of the statement before deciding whether further action was necessary.
“I understand he’s been invited to explain his comments. So I think we must wait for the police to do their job and properly put his statements in context and decide whether or not there’s anything illegal or unlawful about his comments to warrant further action by the police,” Morka said.
He, however, condemned the rising cases of violence reported across Osun State ahead of the August 15 election, stressing that no citizen should be attacked or killed for exercising their democratic rights.
“The events unfolding in Osun, the level of violence, is disturbing on so many levels,” he said.
“People have no business getting killed or injured just because they try to participate in an election called by the country in their state. So it’s really condemnable that anyone would perpetuate violence or encourage it.”
Morka called on the police and other security agencies to identify and prosecute individuals responsible for violent incidents in the state.
“We at the APC totally condemn all of the acts of violence that we’ve witnessed in Osun in the lead-up to this election,” he said.
He maintained that the APC was confident of its electoral prospects and would seek the support of voters based on its performance rather than through intimidation or violence.
“We, as a party, don’t participate in violence because we are confident about our case, which we are making or have made to the people in Osun, and as we make to people elsewhere when it comes to elections, to vote for us on the basis of our record and our performance,” Morka said.
Meanwhile, Fadahunsi had earlier honoured the police invitation and spent hours at the State Criminal Investigation Department in Osogbo, where he was questioned over the campaign video.
He was later seen leaving the police headquarters in the company of his entourage, although the police and the senator did not immediately disclose details of the interrogation.
In a statement issued by his media office on Tuesday, Fadahunsi sought to clarify the controversial remark, describing it as a political and metaphorical appeal to voters to reject the Accord Party at the ballot box.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Senator’s statement was purely political and metaphorical,” the statement said.
The media office insisted that the lawmaker was not advocating violence, intimidation or physical attacks against members of the Accord Party or any other political group.
According to the statement, Fadahunsi’s position remained that the governorship election should be decided through lawful and democratic means.
“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,” it added.
The senator consequently appealed to APC supporters and other political actors to maintain peace, obey the law and allow the electorate to determine the outcome of the election through their votes.
