Francis Fadahunsi
The senator representing Osun East Senatorial District, Francis Adenigba Fadahunsi, has warned against the activities of members of the Accord Party in Ilesha ahead of the August 15 governorship election in Osun State.
Fadahunsi, who spoke in Yoruba while addressing supporters in Ilesha, said there would be trouble if members of the Accord Party were seen in the area, urging his supporters to come out and vote during the election. He also called on those present to record his statement, while making a remark that suggested his supporters would confront Accord Party members if they encountered them before the election.
“If we hear of Accord Party members coming to Ilesha, there will be trouble. We will all come out and vote. Please record me. We are here, and between now and the election, if we see anyone from the Accord Party, we will kill them,” he said. The statement comes amid heightened political activities in Osun State ahead of the governorship election, with political parties intensifying campaigns and mobilisation of supporters across the state. Fadahunsi is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and currently represents Osun East Senatorial District in the National Assembly.
Fadahunsi clarifies comments
However, following intense criticism of the senator’s threat, Fadahunsi clarified the intention behind his now-viral ‘Kill Accord’ comment currently circulating in a video on social media. In the video, Fadahunsi was seen speaking in Yoruba and heard accusing Accord Party members of attacking members of the All Progressives Congress, as he urged the gathering to attack Accord Party supporters in Ilesa.
He was also seen daring those present to record his remarks and share them on social media, while reportedly addressing APC supporters in Ilesa ahead of the August 15, 2026, governorship election.
In a statement by his media office in the state capital on Tuesday, titled ‘Kill Osun Accord with Votes, Not Violence, Senator Fadahunsi Tells APC,’ the senator said his viral comment 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.”
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Senator’s statement was purely political and metaphorical,” the statement added.
It noted that the comment didn’t portray the lawmaker as an advocate of violence against any member of the public or political party. Fadahunsi urged the APC supporters to maintain law and order over the course of the election, as he called on security operatives to allow voters to exercise their constitutional rights.
“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.
In a related development, the campaign council of Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke had called on the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, to investigate and take appropriate action over Fadahunsi’s comment against members of the Accord Party.
