The senator representing Osun East Senatorial District, Senator Francis Fadahunsi has moved to clarify a controversial statement in which he appeared to call for attacks against members of the Accord Party ahead of the Saturday governorship election in Osun State.
Fadahunsi, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), said his comment was not intended to encourage violence against political opponents.
According to the senator, the statement was a political expression urging APC supporters to defeat the Accord Party through their votes.
His clarification came after a video of him addressing APC supporters in Ilesa, Osun State, circulated widely on social media.
In the video, Fadahunsi spoke in Yoruba while referring to members and supporters of the Accord Party.
He was also seen telling those at the gathering to record his remarks and share them on social media.
The comment raised concern because of the language used by the senator while speaking about supporters of the rival party.
Fadahunsi has now insisted that his words should not be interpreted as a directive for APC members to physically attack anyone.
In a statement issued by his media office in Osogbo on Tuesday, the senator explained that his reference to “killing” Accord was political and metaphorical.
The statement was titled, “Kill Osun Accord with Votes, Not Violence, Senator Fadahunsi Tells APC.”
The media office said the senator was asking voters to reject the Accord Party at the polling unit rather than engage its members in physical confrontation.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Senator’s statement was purely political and metaphorical,” the statement added.
According to the statement, Fadahunsi intended to encourage APC supporters to secure victory through the ballot during the governorship election.
It further stated that the senator had never supported violence or intimidation as a means of winning an election.
“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. His consistent position has always been that elections should be decided by the votes of the people and not by force.
“The Senator, therefore, urges political actors, party supporters and the electorate to conduct themselves peacefully before, during and after the election. 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.
“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.
“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.
Politics Nigeria earlier reported today that Senator Francis Fadahunsi had allegedly directed his supporters to attack members of the Accord Party ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
The report was based on the video of the senator’s address to supporters in Ilesa.
Fadahunsi was said to have urged his supporters to identify Accord members by their yellow caps and confront them.
In the video that triggered the controversy, Fadahunsi addressed supporters in Yoruba and referred to the yellow caps associated with Accord supporters.
According to the translation of his remarks, Fadahunsi said, “What kind of life is that? If we hear anything about Accord in Ilesa here, record me and go and tell them.
“When we tell them, the cap they are putting on is a bad one, yellow one.
“So, we have come to tell you now, from now till the election day, if we see them, kill them o.”
However, the senator has now rejected any interpretation that he was asking supporters to engage in physical attacks.
Instead, his media office said the statement should be understood as a call for APC members to defeat Accord through votes.
The clarification also places emphasis on peaceful participation in the electoral process.
Fadahunsi has consequently urged voters and political actors to allow the election to be decided by the ballot rather than confrontation.
He also called on security agencies to ensure that political activities are conducted without intimidation.
Recall, the senator previously belonged to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before joining the APC alongside other National Assembly members from Osun.
His defection was formally announced in 2025, while the lawmakers were later publicly received into the APC fold in Osogbo.
