Senator Francis Fadahunsi, the lawmaker representing the Osun East, has clarified the intention behind his now-viral ‘Kill Accord’ comment currently circulating in a video on social media.
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.
In a statement by his media office 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 statement added.
Governor Ademola Adeleke had called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of Senator Fadahunsi for allegedly inciting the killing of Accord Party members.
“I have spoken to the Inspector-General of Police about the reported directive to arrest Accord Party leaders. But I am appealing to him that this development, if true, is illegal and presents Nigeria as a lawless country,” Adeleke stated.