Politics
Osun 2026: Police invite Senator Fadahunsi over call to ‘kill’
THE Osun State Police Command has summoned Francis Adenigba Fadahunsi, a senator representing Osun East Senatorial District under the All Progressives Congress (APC), over his inflammatory remarks urging supporters to kill members of the opposition Accord Party in Ilesa ahead of Saturday’s governorship poll.
Confirming the development in a telephone interview with The ICIR, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) for the Osun Command, Abiodun Ojelabi, stated that the newly deployed Commissioner of Police in charge of Election Security, Samuel Erale, strongly condemned the lawmaker’s statement and directed an immediate investigation.
“We are aware of the statement made by Senator Francis, and the CP Election, Samuel Erale, condemned the statement and he has been invited since yesterday,” Ojelabi told The ICIR.
“He will be coming this morning.”
The police intervention follows public outrage generated by a viral video posted on social media by Afrobeats star David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido.
In the video, Fadahunsi was seen addressing a cheering crowd in Yoruba in Ilesa town, instructing them to violently confront members of the Accord Party.
“What kind of life is this? We don’t want to hear anything about the Accord Party again in Ilesa. We have now told you, until the election period, whenever you see them, kill them,” the senator said in the video, alleging that the call was in retaliation for party members previously killed by opposition loyalists.
The comments triggered swift condemnation across the state, with the Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, and his campaign council calling on the Inspector-General of Police to arrest and investigate the lawmaker for voter intimidation and inciting political violence.
However, reacting to the backlash, Fadahunsi’s media team issued a statement titled “Kill Osun Accord with Votes, Not Violence, Fadahunsi Tells APC on Tuesday.”
The statement claimed his words were misinterpreted and meant purely in a metaphorical context.
It denied that Fadahunsi had called for violence or physical attacks against members of the opposition party.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the senator’s statement was purely political and metaphorical,” the statement read, adding “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 police invitation comes as Osun enters the final days of campaigning for the governorship election, with heightened political tension and concerns over possible violence before, during and after the poll, which will be held on Saturday, August 15.
