Francis Fadahunsi, senator representing Osun East, says his now-viral “kill Accord” comment circulating on social media was used metaphorically and was not intended to incite violence, as widely portrayed.
The Osun lawmaker came under intense criticism on Tuesday after a video circulated on social media in which he was seen speaking in Yoruba and directing his supporters to kill any member of Accord seen in Ilesa, a town in the state, before and on Saturday, the day of the governorship election.
The senator was reportedly addressing his All Progressives Congress (APC) supporters in Ilesa ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
However, in a statement issued by his media office on Tuesday and titled “Kill Osun Accord with Votes, Not Violence”, 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 reads.
“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.”
Fadahunsi asked political actors, party supporters and the electorate to conduct themselves peacefully before, during and after the election.
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,” the statement added.
“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.”
