The viral video of Senator Francis Adenigba Fadahunsi, representing Osun East, addressing supporters in Ilesa has ignited widespread outrage — and rightly so.
Speaking in Yoruba during the charged campaign period ahead of the August 15, 2026 Osun governorship election, the senator was captured making remarks widely translated as a call to “kill” members of Accord if they see them from now till election day.
Fadahunsi and his media team have since insisted the words were metaphorical — a call to “kill them with votes.” He has blamed “misinterpretation” and referenced alleged prior attacks on APC members in Ijesaland as context for his anger.
But context cannot excuse incitement. Not in Osun today.
Osun is already on edge. In the last three weeks, we have seen party clashes in Iwo, thuggery at campaign rallies in Osogbo, and reports of voter intimidation in Ede and Ikirun. The atmosphere ahead of August 15 is tense. Markets are discussing politics. Youths are mobilising. In this climate, words from a sitting senator carry weight. They can spark reprisals, street fights, and bloodshed.
The Osun State Police Command summoned him. He appeared for questioning at the SCID and was released. That step is welcome, but grossly insufficient.
This is no longer just about one video. This is about preventing Osun from sliding into pre-election violence.
A sitting senator uttering words that reasonable listeners — in a state already experiencing political tension and isolated attacks — could interpret as a licence to attack opponents is a potential national security matter.
The DSS exists precisely for this: to assess intent, track networks, monitor mobilisation, and prevent organised political violence before it starts. The police handle criminal investigation. The DSS handles threats to public order and electoral stability.
The DSS must take charge immediately. It should conduct:
1. A forensic examination of the unedited video and audio
2. Intelligence mapping of groups that may act on the remarks
3. Engagement with party leaders in Osun East to de-escalate tension
4. A public statement affirming that no politician is above the law of peaceful conduct
The Senate must also speak. Silence in the face of such rhetoric normalises it. Internal disciplinary measures exist for conduct that brings the institution into disrepute.
August 15, 2026 will test Osun’s democracy. Elections are won with votes, not fear. The people of Osun East, Ijesaland, and the entire state deserve to campaign, vote, and move freely without looking over their shoulders.
A police invitation followed by release sends the wrong signal: that high office attracts soft handling. A transparent, DSS-led probe will show that in Osun, peace is not negotiable and no one is above the duty to keep it.
Signed:
Comrade James Onifade
Advocate for Good Governance and Judicial Reform
