The Osun State Police Command has summoned Senator Francis Fadahunsi over a viral video in which he was allegedly heard calling for the killing of Accord party members ahead of Saturday’s governorship election in the state.
The police described the video as a matter of “serious concern”, saying the lawmaker must explain the circumstances surrounding the statement attributed to him during an All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign in Ilesa.
The command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, disclosed this on Wednesday while appearing on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief.
Ojelabi said the police would not tolerate statements capable of inciting violence, stressing that Fadahunsi’s position as a serving senator did not prevent the police from inviting him for questioning.
“He is a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. We are not talking about immunity here. Even people not up to his status, we normally write invitation letters to them. If they honour it, fine. If they don’t, then we go after them,” the police spokesperson said.
He confirmed that the senator had been invited and would be required to clarify what he meant by the statement contained in the video.
“He has been invited, and when he comes, whatever he says will be made available to the public,” Ojelabi added.
The police invitation followed widespread outrage over the video, which circulated on social media and allegedly showed Fadahunsi instructing APC supporters to “kill” members of the Accord Party if they were encountered during the electoral process in some parts of Osun.
According to Ojelabi, the police had previously warned political actors and their supporters against making inflammatory statements capable of triggering violence.
“Seeing that video, it calls for serious concern, and that is what led to his invitation. Let him come and tell us what he was trying to say and what he meant by ‘kill them’ in that video,” he said.
The PPRO said it would be inappropriate for the police to determine the senator’s intention without allowing him to explain himself.
“Let the speaker come and explain what he meant in the video because I might try to interpret it and might be different from what he meant. But we all heard what he said, and we have a very large community of Yorubas that understood what he said very well,” he added.
Channels Television reported that the invitation was contained in a letter dated August 11, 2026, signed by Samuel Etaifo Erale, the Commissioner of Police, Elections, in Osun State.
The letter directed Fadahunsi to appear before the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Osogbo at 11:00am on Wednesday, August 12, to clarify the circumstances surrounding the alleged remarks.
The police said information in its possession indicated that the senator made statements considered “threatening, inciting and intimidating” during the APC programme, adding that the video had already circulated widely across electronic and social media platforms.
Fadahunsi denies threatening opposition
Fadahunsi has, however, rejected the interpretation of the video, describing the controversy as a “deliberate misrepresentation” of his remarks.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the senator said he was speaking about what he described as the continued killing of APC members by alleged Accord Party thugs in Ilesa and other parts of Osun.
According to him, the video was edited and presented in a manner that distorted the context of his remarks.
Fadahunsi maintained that he had warned that the APC would retaliate if attacks against its members continued.
“My statement was very clear: if the killings do not stop, we shall also retaliate,” he said, insisting that the party was seeking justice over alleged attacks on its members.
He said APC members would not “fold our arms and watch” if further attacks occurred, including on election day.
The senator also accused Davido and Olajengbesi of taking less than two minutes from a speech that lasted about 24 minutes and circulating the excerpt for political purposes.
Adeleke demands Fadahunsi’s arrest
The controversy also prompted Governor Ademola Adeleke to demand the arrest and investigation of the senator.
Adeleke, who is seeking re-election on the Accord Party platform, accused Fadahunsi of inciting violence and “genocide” against members of the opposition party.
The governor said the alleged statement had gone beyond ordinary political rhetoric and constituted a national security concern.
“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,” Adeleke said at a press conference on Tuesday.
He said he had contacted the Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, and demanded Fadahunsi’s immediate investigation and arrest.
Adeleke also called for the arrest of the senator by the police and Department of State Services, while urging security agencies to halt what he described as the illegal arrest of Accord Party leaders by the police Intelligence Response Team.
The competing claims come just days before the Osun governorship election, raising fresh concerns over political tensions and the possibility of violence before, during and after the poll.
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