*I Meant ‘Kill Accord’ With Votes, Not Violence, Says Lawmaker

OSUN State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has accused Senator Francis Fadahunsi of inciting violence and “genocide” against members of the Accord Party (AP) and demanded his arrest and a thorough investigation to forestall what he described as the actualisation of his threats, insisting nobody, no matter how highly placed, should be above the law.

    At a press conference on Tuesday, August 11, Adeleke described Fadahunsi as a “national security threat,” adding: “This is now beyond politics. This is now a national security threat that requires the attention of Mr. President through the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA).

    “I have raised this issue with the IGP and demanded the immediate investigation and arrest of Fadahunsi. The IGP has confirmed the video and assured me of immediate action.
    “We request that the IGP should stop the illegal operations of IRT, a team that has been arresting Accord Party leaders across the local governments for no just reason.

    “We ask that the Police and the DSS immediately arrest Fadahunsi for his incitement to genocide against the people of Ijesahland and Osun State.

    “This is to prove to the world that Nigeria is a state governed by the rule of law.”

In his defence, Fadahunsi, who represents Osun East Senatorial District in the National Assembly, clarified his intention in the viral video, where he was seen speaking in Yoruba while addressing supporters, accusing AP members of attacking members of his All Progressives Congress (APC), urging the gathering to attack AP supporters in Ilesa, ahead of the Saturday, August 15, governorship election.

    He was also seen daring those present to record his remarks and share them on social media, while reportedly addressing APC supporters in Ilesa ahead.

    In a statement by his media office on Tuesday, titled, ‘Kill Osun Accord with Votes, Not Violence,’ Senator Fadahunsi Tells APC,’ he 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.”

He stressed: “For the avoidance of doubt, the senator’s statement was purely political and metaphorical,” saying the comment did not portray the lawmaker as an advocate of violence against any member of the public or political party.    It urged the APC supporters to maintain law and order in the course of the election, and security operatives to allow voters to exercise their constitutional rights.

    According to the statement: “At no point did 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 senator, therefore, urges political actors, party supporters and the electorate to conduct themselves peacefully before, during and after the election. He also calls on security agencies to remain professional and ensure that every eligible voter is able to exercise their constitutional right without fear or intimidation.

    “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.”