Nigeria's police have summoned Senator Francis Fadahunsi after a video in which he appeared to call for attacks on Accord Party members went viral, triggering condemnation and fresh concerns about violence ahead of Saturday's Osun governorship election.
Fadahunsi, who represents Osun East Senatorial District, has since denied calling for physical violence.
He said his comments were political and meant that his supporters should defeat Accord with their votes.
The controversy has nevertheless drawn interventions from Osun Governor Ademola Adeleke, former Anambra governor Peter Obi and Afrobeats star David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido.
The election is scheduled for 15 August 2026, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission.
What did Fadahunsi say?
A video circulating on social media shows Fadahunsi addressing supporters in Ilesa in Yoruba.
In the video, he appears to tell supporters to kill Accord members if they encounter them before the election.
A translation circulated by Davido alongside the video reads:
“From now on, whenever you see Accord members, kill them. I authorise you to kill them.
They have wives and children too. This is a Federal Government election.
On election day, even if they come with voters card, we wont allow them to vote.”
The video has prompted widespread condemnation because of the potential implications of such language in an already tense election environment.
The police have now summoned Fadahunsi to explain the remarks.
The Osun Police Command described the comments as potentially threatening, inciting and intimidating.
Fadahunsi says he meant votes, not violence
Fadahunsi has rejected the interpretation that he was ordering supporters to physically attack Accord members.
He said the phrase was political and metaphorical and that he was calling on APC supporters to defeat Accord at the ballot box.
“I meant ‘kill Accord’ with votes, not violence.”
He also said the remarks came against the background of violence that he alleged had affected members of his community and party.
Fadahunsi claimed that more than 11 people had been killed and several others wounded in recent incidents.
His media office also said his comments were intended as a call for supporters to reject Accord “through lawful, peaceful and democratic means”.
The police investigation will now be important in determining the context of the remarks and whether they amounted to an offence.
Police summon serving senator
The police invitation represents the first formal response by security authorities to the controversy.
The Osun State Police Command summoned Fadahunsi to appear before the State Criminal Investigation Department in Osogbo on Wednesday.
The invitation followed the circulation of the video on social media and concerns that the comments could inflame political tensions before the poll.
The police have not announced that Fadahunsi has been arrested or charged with an offence.
Adeleke demands investigation and arrest
Governor Ademola Adeleke has taken a stronger position.
At an emergency press briefing on Tuesday, the governor described the alleged remarks as a national security concern and called on the Inspector-General of Police to investigate and arrest Fadahunsi.
“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 also said he had raised the matter with the IGP and demanded immediate action.
“We ask that the police and the DSS immediately arrest Senator Fadahunsi for his incitement to genocide against the people of Ijesahland and Osun state.”
Adeleke also alleges planned arrests
The governor's briefing went beyond the Fadahunsi controversy.
Adeleke alleged that a police signal had directed the immediate arrest of Accord Party leaders and their transfer to Abuja, where he claimed they would remain until after the election.
“I have spoken to the Inspector General of Police about the reported directive to arrest Accord Party leaders.
But I am appealing to him that this development, if true, is illegal, and presents Nigeria as a lawless country.”
He further claimed that more than 62 Accord leaders were already being held by police without charges.
“It is disturbing that we still have over 62 Accord Party leaders held in illegal police detention without any charges against them. This is not democracy.”
The claim of a police directive and the number of detainees have not been independently established from the material available.
Adeleke also called for an end to what he described as illegal operations by the Intelligence Response Team.
The allegations come after Adeleke's campaign organisation previously said more than 60 Accord members were in police detention.
Peter Obi calls for apology
Peter Obi, a former Anambra governor and 2027 presidential candidate, has also condemned the remarks attributed to Fadahunsi.Obi described them as “inflammatory” and “threat-laden” and called on the senator to retract them and apologise to the people of Osun.
“I wish to express my deep regret, and profound concern regarding the recent inflammatory comments and threat-laden rhetoric attributed to Senator Francis Fadahunsi in the lead-up to the Osun State election on Saturday.”
Obi said politicians had a responsibility to promote peaceful elections rather than intimidate voters.
“I therefore respectfully demand that Senator Fadahunsi retract these harmful statements and tender an apology to the peaceful people of Osun State.”
He also called on political leaders and party supporters to moderate their language.
“All political leaders, stakeholders, and party loyalists across party lines must exercise the utmost restraint, moderate their language, and recommit themselves to peace and democratic decorum.”
Obi urged security agencies to protect voters and election officials regardless of their political affiliation.
“The relevant security agencies must closely monitor inflammatory statements and ensure equal protection for all citizens, election officials, and voters before, during, and after the polls.”
He said no political actor should attempt to influence the electorate through fear.“
The democratic mandate belongs to the people, and no individual, regardless of status or political office, should attempt to subvert the will of the people through fear or coercion.”
Obi's intervention is significant politically, but it remains a political response rather than an independent finding on the senator's intentions.
Davido appeals to Donald Trump
Davido has approached the controversy from a different angle.
The singer shared the video of Fadahunsi's remarks and separately called on US President Donald Trump and the international community to pay attention to the Osun election.
Davido wrote: “President Donald Trump, I am calling your attention to the situation in Osun State, Nigeria, as we approach the election.”
He said there were growing concerns about possible violence, intimidation and disruption of the democratic process.
“Osun people deserve to exercise their constitutional right to vote freely, peacefully, and without fear.”
Davido urged the United States and the wider international community to monitor the election and encourage Nigerian authorities to protect voters.
“We do not want bloodshed. We do not want intimidation. We want peace, transparency, and a free and fair election.”
Davido had already warned several days earlier that he would seek Trump's attention if he believed the Osun election was being compromised.
His intervention has brought international attention to a dispute that began as a domestic political controversy.
However, the responsibility for conducting and securing the election remains with Nigerian institutions, including INEC and the country's security agencies.
Why the controversy matters
The dispute comes at a sensitive point in the electoral timetable.
INEC has fixed the Osun governorship election for Saturday, 15 August, leaving only days for the authorities to address concerns about political violence and voter intimidation.
The controversy also follows reports of killings and political clashes in parts of Osun.
Premium Times reported that three people were killed in a shooting in Ilesa on Monday, amid heightened political tension.
That context makes inflammatory political language particularly sensitive.
If political supporters interpret such statements as a licence for violence, the consequences could extend beyond individual candidates to voters, election officials and communities.
What voters should watch
The immediate questions are now whether Fadahunsi will appear before the police, what evidence investigators establish and whether the authorities take any further action.
The police must also clarify Adeleke's allegation about a directive to arrest Accord leaders.
At the same time, INEC and security agencies will face pressure to demonstrate that voters from all parties can participate without intimidation.
The election will ultimately test not only the popularity of the candidates but also the ability of Nigeria's institutions to protect the democratic process.
For voters in Osun, the most important issue is straightforward: whether they can cast their ballots freely and safely on Saturday.
The police investigation into Fadahunsi's remarks is now one of the immediate tests of that assurance.
