Senator Francis Fadahunsi, representing Osun East Senatorial District, has been questioned by the police over a viral video in which he told supporters to “kill” members of the Accord Party ahead of Saturday’s governorship election.
Fadahunsi, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), honoured an invitation from the Osun State Police Command on Wednesday and was questioned for about two hours before leaving the command.
The controversy followed a video from a political gathering in Osun where Fadahunsi was heard directing supporters to kill Accord members.
The remark sparked condemnation, with Governor Ademola Adeleke and other political actors calling for action against the senator. The police subsequently invited him to explain the statement.
But Fadahunsi denied ordering anyone to physically attack or kill members of the opposition party.
Speaking after his meeting with the police, the senator said his comment had been taken out of context and that he was referring to defeating Accord at the ballot box.
“What I said was that between now and Saturday, we will kill them with our votes,” Fadahunsi said.
He also accused people of deliberately misinterpreting his use of the Yoruba language.
“I came here to honour the police invitation. We have met, and I told them what I said, not the one manipulated by the mischievous interpreters of the Yoruba language,” he said.
Fadahunsi also maintained that the video had been edited in a manner that distorted the meaning of his statement.
The police, however, said the invitation was necessary because of the seriousness of the remarks contained in the video.
The Osun State Commissioner of Police in charge of the election, Samuel Etaifo, said the command was concerned about statements capable of threatening or intimidating political opponents ahead of the poll.
The matter has since moved beyond the police invitation.
The Osun State Government has filed a suit seeking an order compelling the Inspector-General of Police and the state Commissioner of Police to investigate the senator’s statement.
The government is also asking for the complete and unedited version of the video to be obtained and subjected to forensic examination as part of the investigation.
The controversy has added to growing concerns over political violence ahead of Saturday’s election, with political parties and civil society groups calling on security agencies to ensure the safety of voters and political actors.
Fadahunsi’s questioning came just two days before Osun voters are scheduled to elect their governor, amid an increasingly tense contest between the major political parties.