The senator representing Osun East Senatorial District, Francis Fadahunsi, and the candidate of the All Progressives Congress for Ifelodun/Boripe/Odo Otin Federal Constituency in the 2027 general elections, Francis Eniade, came under fire on Tuesday for issuing a threat against the Accord members ahead of Saturday’s governorship poll.

In a video that circulated on social media on Tuesday, Fadahunsi, who spoke in the Yoruba language, threatened to deal with an Accord member sighted in Ilesha, Osun State, before Saturday.

Sources at the scene where Fadahunsi made the controversial speech told The PUNCH that the lawmaker spoke at the palace of the Owa Obokun of Ijesaland in Ilesa during a protest organised over the alleged killing of three members of the All Progressives Congress in Ilesa on Tuesday.

Speaking in Yoruba language, Fadahunsi said, “How many people have you seen the APC kill? We are here to tell you that until the day of the election, if we see any Accord member in Ilesa, we will kill him.”

In another viral video also obtained on Tuesday, Eniade, who was also addressing a campaign rally, said no Accord member should come out to vote in Odo Otin Local Government Area on the day of the election.

Eniade, who also spoke in Yoruba language, said, “I was only waiting for today before I talked. I swear to God, anyone who is not an APC member should not come out on election day.

If you said you won’t listen to us, we have warned you ahead. All the votes in Odo-Otin belong to the APC.

“Tell Egbedun (Osun House of Assembly Speaker) that I don’t have his time. I am his elder brother. Accord can’t vote in Odo-Otin. I am the one who said so.

“To the APC members, go back to your ward and unit and tell them that anybody who is not an APC member should not come out to vote.”

Reacting to Fadahunsi’s threat, Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, while addressing journalists in Osogbo, demanded the lawmaker’s arrest, saying his utterances could lead to mass killing.

The governor, who said he had raised the matter with the Inspector General of Police, Olatunji Disu, subsequently demanded Fadahunsi’s investigation and arrest, adding that the IGP confirmed the existence of the video and assured him of immediate action.

“The second issue has to do with the viral video of a serving senator, Francis Fadahunsi, who today called for the killing of Accord leaders, supporters and their families.

“In the video, the senator even threatened that where they cannot get Accord leaders, they should kill their wives and children.

“This is now beyond politics. This is now a national security threat that requires the attention of Mr President through the Office of the National Security Adviser,” the governor said.

He further called on the police and the Department of State Services to immediately arrest Fadahunsi over what he described as an alleged “incitement to genocide against the people of Ijesaland and Osun State.”

The governor also alleged that a police signal had been issued directing the immediate arrest of Accord leaders in Osun State, saying there were instructions that those arrested should be moved to Abuja and not released until after the election.

According to him, such an operation, if confirmed, would amount to an attempt to use the police to influence the outcome of the election.

He called for an end to what he described as the “illegal operations” of the Intelligence Response Team, alleging that its operatives had been arresting Accord leaders across local government areas without justification.

“We demand that the IGP enforce due process and fair policing by aborting all anti-people plots against democracy in Osun State.

“We finally request that the police and other security agencies should act in line with the rule of law and their oath of office before, during and after these coming elections,” Adeleke said.

Also, the campaign council of Adeleke called on the IGP to investigate and take appropriate action over a viral video showing Fadahunsi making an inciting comment against members of the Accord Party.

The spokesperson for the Adeleke campaign council, Pelumi Olajengbesi, urged the police to intervene.

“This is a serious threat to lives and the peaceful conduct of the August 15 election.

“Mr Inspector-General of Police, this must be addressed immediately. Nobody has the right to kill an Accord member or any citizen. Nobody has the right to stop Osun people from voting. Enough is enough!” Olajengbesi said.

Several Nigerians who reacted to the video on social media also called for police action.

An Osun indigene, Wale Akintoye, questioned why the police had not acted on the remarks, describing them as a threat to the lives of citizens.

Another social media user, Adenike Bekky, said political differences should not become grounds for threatening citizens.

“Why should anyone be threatened or harmed simply because they chose not to decamp with you? Politics should never be a matter of life and death. We cannot all face the same direction, and political differences should never be a reason to threaten the lives of citizens,” she said.

I was misinterpreted – Fadahunsi

Reacting, Fadahunsi, in a statement, said his message in the viral video was misinterpreted, saying the video was manipulated to paint him in bad light.

Fadahunsi, in a statement he signed, said, “My attention has been drawn to an edited video being circulated by Davido on TikTok and Pelumi Olajengbesi on other social media platforms.

“The video was deliberately edited to distort what I actually said. What I said was that if the alleged killing of our party members by Accord thugs does not stop, our party will retaliate. I was referring to the continued violence and attacks against our members in Ilesa and other parts of the state.

“I made reference to one Rogba, who was killed in Esa-Oke by his co-cultists. The governor had referred to the deceased as his son and was also engaged in a disagreement with a sitting member of the House of Representatives on live television.

“My statement was very clear: if the killings do not stop, we shall also retaliate. We are here to lodge complaints and demand justice.

“It is unacceptable for human beings to kill fellow human beings the way our members are allegedly being killed in Ilesa.

“All those being killed are Nigerians and, indeed, sons and daughters of the same communities. I stated unequivocally that if our party members are killed again, we will not simply fold our arms and watch.

“We will defend our people, even if such an incident occurs on election day.

“Unfortunately, Davido and Olajengbesi took less than two minutes from a speech that lasted about 24 minutes and circulated it to achieve cheap political objectives. This is a clear case of deliberate misrepresentation and manipulation.”

He said on Monday, three vibrant young men were reportedly killed at Kajola Junction, Imo, Ilesa.

“Shockingly, while we were preparing for our rally in Ilesa this morning, reports also emerged that more than eight young people were allegedly murdered in cold blood in the Igbogi area of Ilesa.

“As of the time of this protest, more than 12 members of the All Progressives Congress had reportedly been killed, yet there has been no adequate statement from the state government condemning these incidents and assuring citizens of their safety.

“We cannot continue on this dangerous path. Elections should be about ideas, policies and the choice of the people, not violence and bloodshed,” he said.

He urged eligible voters and residents across Ijesa land to embrace peace and called on the residents to remain calm, reject violence and come out peacefully on Saturday to exercise their civic responsibility by voting for the party of their choice.

In another statement by his media office on Tuesday, titled ‘Kill Osun Accord with Votes, Not Violence, Senator Fadahunsi Tells APC,’ the senator described his viral comment as “a call on supporters to overwhelmingly reject the Accord at the ballot box through lawful, peaceful and democratic means during the August 15 governorship election.”

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

It noted that the comment did not portray the lawmaker as an advocate of violence against any member of the public or political party.

“At no point did Senator Fadahunsi advocate violence, intimidation or any form of physical attack against members or supporters of the Accord 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,” it read.