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VENO tv: OPINION OSUN GOVERNORSHIP: VIOLENT RHETORIC MUST NOT BECOME A PRELUDE TO BLOODSHED
Date: 12-08-26

“Record Me, I Said It” — Controversy Trails Senator Francis Fadahunsi’s Remarks as Accord Raises Alarm
As the Osun State governorship election approaches, political leaders must realise that their words carry enormous weight

. At a tense moment in the state, statements capable of being interpreted as threats, retaliation or encouragement of violence should have no place in political campaigns.
Serving Senator Francis Fadahunsi has found himself at the centre of controversy following a video circulating on social media concerning political violence in Esa-Oke and his reaction to alleged attacks on his supporters.

In the controversial remarks attributed to him, Fadahunsi reportedly spoke angrily about alleged attacks and killings involving people in his area, insisting that he could not remain silent while his people were being attacked.
Among the expressions generating controversy was the emphatic statement: “Record me, I said it.”
Critics interpreted portions of the video as suggesting that members of the Accord Party could face retaliation. However, Senator Fadahunsi has denied directing anybody to kill political opponents, maintaining that the circulating material was edited and that his comments had been taken out of context.
According to his explanation, he does not support political violence but was warning against continued attacks on his people. He also reportedly clarified that his reference to “killing” opponents was political and figurative — defeating them with votes rather than taking lives.
“We are going to kill him with our votes,” was the clarification attributed to the senator.
He also called for peace while warning that attacks against his supporters should stop.
The controversy has nevertheless drawn a strong reaction from the Accord Party.

Osun Accord Party spokesperson Bamudele Salam accused Fadahunsi of being behind aggression against Accord supporters and alleged that the senator was attempting to intimidate voters ahead of the election. These remain allegations and should be investigated rather than treated as established facts.

OUR OPINION
Whatever the intended meaning of the senator's remarks, political leaders must understand the danger of inflammatory language during an election period.
When tempers are already high, words such as “kill,” “retaliate,” “war” and similar expressions can easily be misunderstood or exploited by supporters.
If Senator Fadahunsi's position is that his words were edited or deliberately misrepresented, the complete, unedited recording should be made available so Nigerians can hear the remarks in their full context.
Likewise, allegations that any politician operates a “killer squad,” possesses a “licence to kill,” controls security units or intends to intimidate voters are extremely serious. Such allegations require credible evidence and proper investigation by the appropriate security agencies.
No politician should be convicted in the court of social media.
At the same time, no politician—senator, governor, candidate or party leader—should use language capable of encouraging supporters to take the law into their own hands.
Osun does not need another political casualty.
The coming governorship election should be a contest of ideas, records and votes—not guns, thugs, intimidation or retaliation.
Let the electorate decide.
Kill your opponent with votes, not bullets.
That should be the message from Esa-Oke to Ede, Ilesa, Osogbo and every community across Osun State.

VENO tv OPINION DESK
Peace Before, During and After the Election
I’ve deliberately kept the most serious claims attributed to the Accord spokesperson as allegations, while preserving the force of your editorial position.

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