Senator Francis Fadahunsi has denied inciting violence ahead of the Osun State governorship election, saying his controversial reference to “killing” political opponents was a metaphor for defeating them at the ballot box.
Fadahunsi made the clarification during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he responded to a viral video that had sparked controversy ahead of Saturday’s election.
Explaining the context of his remarks, the senator said he was encouraging his supporters to defeat their opponents through their votes rather than physical confrontation.
“I told them this shows that they are weak and cannot win. They should shut them down by their votes; they should kill them by their votes,” Fadahunsi said.
He stressed that he does not preach violence and maintained that his choice of words was intended to emphasise the importance of electoral victory.
“I don’t preach violence,” he said.
Addressing that aspect of the controversy, Fadahunsi said the viral footage had been edited in a manner that distorted the context of his remarks.
“The video was deliberately edited to distort what I actually said,” he said.
“What I said was that if the alleged killing of our party members by Accord Party thugs does not stop, our party will retaliate. I was referring to the continued violence and attacks against our members in Ilesa and other parts of the state,” he said.
He said his remarks were made in response to reports of attacks and killings involving political supporters, insisting that his primary concern was the safety of party members.
“My statement was very clear: if the killings do not stop, we shall also retaliate. We are here to lodge complaints and demand justice,” Fadahunsi said.
“It is unacceptable for human beings to kill fellow human beings the way our members are allegedly being killed in Ilesa.”
The senator also accused those who circulated the video of selectively using portions of his speech to create a misleading impression.
He said a speech that lasted about 24 minutes was reduced to less than two minutes before being circulated on social media.
“Unfortunately, Davido and Olajengbesi took less than two minutes from a speech that lasted about 24 minutes and circulated it to achieve cheap political objectives. This is a clear case of deliberate misrepresentation and manipulation,” he alleged.
Fadahunsi maintained that his position was not a call for violence but a warning against continued attacks on APC supporters.
The controversy has drawn the attention of Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, who formally requested that the Inspector General of Police investigate the viral clip.
Adeleke had accused Fadahunsi of inciting violence and “genocide” against members of the Accord Party, calling for a thorough investigation ahead of Saturday’s election.
(The Sun)