… says ‘I was only being metaphorical’
Senator Francis Fadahunsi has denied ordering members of the All Progressives Congress to kill supporters of the ruling Accord Party during the forthcoming governorship election in Osun State.
Fadahunsi said he only urged APC members to “kill Osun Accord with votes,” stressing that his statement was “purely political and metaphorical.”
The Federal lawmaker made this clarification in a statement issued by his media office in Osogbo, on Tuesday, following an allegation by popular Afrobeat musician, Davido, who is a cousin to the incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke, that Senator Fadahunsi had ordered APC members to kill any Accord Party supporters who may venture to vote during next Saturday’s governorship election in Osun State.
According to Fadahunsi, his statement to the APC members was only 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.”
The statement stressed that at no point did Senator Fadahunsi advocate violence, intimidation or any form of physical attack against members of the Accord Party or any other political party, adding, “His consistent position has always been that elections should be decided by the votes of the people and not by force.”
The statement appealed 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.”
The APC Senator, therefore, urged political actors, party supporters and the electorate to conduct themselves peacefully before, during and after Saturday’s election.
Fadahunsi also called on security agencies to remain professional and ensure that every eligible voter is able to exercise their constitutional right without fear or intimidation.
“Senator 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,” the statement added.
