The Imole Campaign Council, the campaign organisation supporting Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of Senator Francis Fadahunsi over an alleged threat to kill members and supporters of the Accord Party ahead of Saturday’s governorship election.
The demand was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday by the Chairman, Media and Publicity Committee of the Imole Campaign Council, Rep. Bamidele Salam, following the circulation of a video purportedly showing Fadahunsi, who represents Osun East Senatorial District, making threatening remarks against Accord members in Ijeshaland.
In the video, Fadahunsi was reported to have spoken in Yoruba during an address at the palace of the Owa Obokun of Ijesaland, Owa Adesuyi Haastrup. According to a translation of the remarks reported by media outlets, the senator said, “If we hear about any Accord member in Ilesa, we will kill him.”
Reacting to the development, the campaign council described the alleged statement as “open incitement to kill” and demanded that the Inspector-General of Police and the Director-General of the Department of State Services order Fadahunsi’s arrest and prosecution.
The council also alleged that thugs, hoodlums and persons impersonating police officers had been brought into Ilase and other communities across Ijeshaland ahead of the election.
Salam said, “This open incitement to kill by the senator coupled with the threat against the lives of family members of the Accord is, to say the least, despicable and stands condemnable.”
The campaign council further alleged that Fadahunsi had threatened that Accord supporters would be prevented from voting even if they presented their Permanent Voter Cards at polling units.
It urged security agencies deployed for Saturday’s election to pay particular attention to the six local government areas in Ijeshaland and ensure that residents were protected while exercising their constitutional right to vote.
The council also called for the alleged armed thugs and fake policemen said to be operating in Ilase-Ijesa and other parts of Ijeshaland to be flushed out before the election.
“We will hold Senator Ade Francis Fadahunsi responsible for any act of violence against any member of Accord in Ijeshaland and indeed in other parts of the State,” the statement said.
The campaign council also alleged that an officer identified as ASP Wemimo had been leading operatives of the Intelligence Response Team to the homes of Accord leaders in Ijeshaland.
It further claimed that its House of Representatives candidate for Ijesa South, Alaba Popoola, was abducted by the team on Fadahunsi’s alleged instructions and remained in police custody.
The arrest of Popoola and other Accord members has previously generated controversy, with the Imole Campaign Council accusing the police of carrying out the operation, while the police had not publicly confirmed the campaign council’s allegations at the time of earlier reports.
The council urged residents of Ijeshaland to remain peaceful but defy any alleged threats or intimidation by coming out en masse to vote for the candidate and party of their choice.
The statement added, “We charge them to defy the threat by Senator Fadahunsi and go out en masse to vote their party of choice in the state governorship election holding on Saturday.”
