Osun East Senator Francis Fadahunsi has issued death threat to members of the Accord Party found in Ilesa ahead of Saturday’s Osun State governorship election.
He made the threat in a viral video that has heightened concerns over escalating political violence in the state.
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Mr Fadahunsi spoke in Yoruba while addressing supporters during a protest at the palace of the Owa Obokun of Ijesaland over what he described as incessant killings of the APC members in Ijesaland.
In the video circulating online, the senator, who was accompanied by other All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders accused Accord Party members of killing people.
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“The cap they wear – it is Yellow Fever cap, it is the cap of an animal,” Mr Fadahunsi said, referring to Accord Party’s yellow brand.
Each remark he made against Accord Party members was received with an approving cheers from the crowd.
“It is animal that kills. Have you ever heard that APC killed anyone? Are those being killed not your people?” Mr Fadahunsi said.
“So, we have come to tell you, up till the day of the election, if we see them, it is killing.”
The statement came a day after three people were killed in a shooting in the Imo area of Ilesa in Osun State, amid heightened political tension in the community ahead of the 15 August governorship election.
The circumstances surrounding the killings, however, remain disputed.
While sources in the community linked the incident to a clash between supporters of the APC and Accord, the Osun State Police Command said the violence was a cult-related clash involving suspected members of the Aiye and Eiye confraternities.
The police confirm that individuals identified only as Idowu, Yinka and Eja, were reportedly shot dead in the clash, and recorded the recovery of four expended cartridges and two Android phones were recovered from the scene,
Following a distress call, the Commissioner of Police in charge of the election, Samuel Erale Etaifo, ordered the deployment of operatives of the Violence Crime Response Unit (VCRU) to the area.
“The CP Election has directed the VCRU operatives and other tactical teams to intensify patrols, surveillance and intelligence-led operations within llesa and adjoining areas, particularly around identified flashpoints, to forestall any reprisal attack,” the statement read.
The Ilesa’s incident adds to the growing killings, including ones linked to pre-election violence in the state ahead of its 15 August election.
The Nigeria Police Force acknowledged the severity of the situation. In July, the Force disclosed that 30 people had been allegedly killed in pre-election violence incidents in Osun.
“From the complaints received, we cannot rule out the involvement of some politicians in the killings,” said Anietie Iniedu, the Force Public Relations Officer (PRO) during a morning brief programme on Channel TV.
Accord raises alarm over senator’s threat
The Imole Campaign Council, the campaign organisation of Governor Ademola Adeleke, condemned Mr Fadahunsi’s statement and called for his arrest and prosecution.
The council’s Chairman, Media and Publicity, Bamidele Salam, described the senator’s comments as an “open incitement to kill” and said they posed a serious threat to Accord members and other residents in Ijesaland.
The campaign council also alleged that the senator’s statement was consistent with information it had received about the alleged movement of political thugs and fake police officers into Ijesaland.
It further alleged that Mr Fadahunsi threatened to prevent Accord supporters from voting even if they presented their Permanent Voter Cards at polling units on election day.
The council called on the Inspector-General of Police and the Director-General of the Department of State Services to investigate the senator’s remarks and take appropriate action.
“Coming from a serving member of the National Assembly who swore to uphold the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, we feel compelled to demand that the inspector General of Police and the Director General of the Department of State Security order the arrest of senator Fadahunsi and prosecute him in accordance with relevant laws of the Federation.”
It also urged security agencies to pay particular attention to Ilesa East, Ilesa West, Obokun, Oriade, Atakumosa East and Atakumosa West local government areas during Saturday’s election.
The council said it would hold Mr Fadahunsi responsible for any violence against Accord members in Ijesaland, while urging residents not to be intimidated by the threat.
Senator ‘clarifies’ statement
However, Mr Fadahunsi has issued a “clarification” explaining he did use “kill” in its literal sense.
Tribune reported that the senator’s media office in Osun State issued a statement, titled ‘Kill Osun Accord with Votes, Not Violence, Senator Fadahunsi Tells AP.”
The statement explained that his 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, while maintaining appealing to APC supporters and other political actors to maintain peace and obey the law before, during and after the 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.”
He also called 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,” he stated.
Rising tension ahead of Saturday’s poll
The latest controversy comes amid a surge in politically linked violence across Osun in the final days before the governorship election.
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The state has recorded shootings, killings, attacks on political supporters and other violent incidents during the campaign period, prompting increased deployment of security personnel and calls for political parties to restrain their supporters.
The police have repeatedly warned political actors and their supporters against acts capable of disrupting the election.
With voters expected to go to the polls on Saturday to choose among 14 governorship candidates, including Mr Adeleke who is seeking re-election, concerns over violence have intensified in several parts of the state.
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