Senator representing Osun East Senatorial District, Francis Fadahunsi, has denied ordering his supporters to kill members of the Accord Party and their family members.
Fadahunsi said the viral video that triggered controversy was edited and presented out of context to distort the meaning of his remarks.
The senator spoke on Wednesday after appearing before the police at the Osun State Police Command headquarters in Osogbo for questioning over the video.
Fadahunsi arrived at the command at about 2:35 p.m. in the company of the Commissioner of Police in charge of election and security, Samuel Erale.
Speaking to journalists after a closed-door session with investigators at the Criminal Investigation Department, the senator explained that his use of the word “kill” was political and referred to defeating the Accord Party with votes during the August 15 governorship election.
According to him, his original remarks were made in Yoruba and were not accurately represented in the viral clip.
Fadahunsi said: “We said, come Saturday, election, we will kill them with our votes. Go and look at the video; it is almost 38 minutes.”
He alleged that a portion of the longer recording was deliberately extracted and interpreted in a way that gave his statement a different meaning.
The controversy began after a video surfaced online in which the senator was alleged to have instructed supporters to kill Accord Party members and their family members.
Fadahunsi, however, insisted that he never made such a call, describing the interpretation of his remarks as mischievous.
Fadahunsi Raises Alarm Over Attacks
The senator also expressed concern over recent killings in his constituency, alleging that the incidents were intended to intimidate voters and prevent them from participating in Saturday’s election.
He claimed that APC members had been attacked by suspected thugs in Ilesa and other parts of Osun State.
The development has heightened political tension in the state ahead of the governorship election.
Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke had earlier accused Fadahunsi of inciting violence and called for his immediate arrest, describing the alleged remarks as a national security threat.
Police Investigation Continues
The Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Aniete Iniedu Okokon, confirmed that Fadahunsi had been interrogated.
He said the investigation was still ongoing and that the outcome would be made public after the process is concluded.
The police also assured residents that adequate security measures had been deployed across Osun State to protect voters, election officials and other stakeholders during the August 15 governorship election.
With the controversy still unfolding, attention is now focused on the outcome of the police investigation and its possible impact on the tense political atmosphere ahead of the poll.
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