By Nchetachi Chukwuajah
The Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Disu, demanding the immediate arrest and investigation of Senator Francis Fadahunsi over a viral video in which the lawmaker was allegedly heard calling for the killing of Accord Party leaders, supporters, and their family members ahead of Saturday’s governorship election.
Adeleke disclosed this while addressing journalists in Osogbo on Tuesday, August 11, saying the IGP has 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 Party leaders, supporters and their families. In the video, the Senator even threatened that where they cannot get Accord Party 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,” Adeleke said.
The governor added that he petitioned the Department of State Services (DSS) to arrest Fadahunsi over what he described as an alleged “incitement to genocide against the people of Ijesaland and Osun State.”
The video of the senator’s remarks was shared and translated in English by Afrobeat singer and Adeleke’s nephew, David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, and has now gone viral across several social media platforms.
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.
According to the translation shared by Davido, the senator allegedly said, “From now on, whenever you see Accord members, kill them. I authorise you to kill them. They have wives and children too. This is a Federal Government election. On election day, even if they come with voter’s card, we won’t allow them to vote.”
However, Fadahunsi, who currently represents Osun East Senatorial District in the Senate, said the viral video was edited and manipulated to distort his remarks.
“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,” he said.
The lawmaker, in a statement personally signed by him, said his remarks were in response to alleged attacks on APC members in Ilesa and other parts of the state, insisting that he was referring to retaliation if the alleged killings continued.
“What I said was that if the alleged killing of our party members by Accord Party 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,” he said.
He added, “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.”
The senator accused the state government of failing to adequately condemn alleged attacks on APC members, claiming that more than 12 party members had reportedly been killed.
Fadahunsi urged residents across Ijesaland to reject violence and participate peacefully in Saturday’s election.
Senator Francis Fadahunsi, the lawmaker representing the Osun East Senatorial District, has clarified the intention behind his now-viral ‘Kill Accord’ comment currently circulating in a video on social media.
Another statement by his media office in the state capital on Tuesday, titled ‘Kill Osun Accord with Votes, Not Violence, Senator Fadahunsi Tells APC,’ the lawmaker 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.
