Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The final days of Osun State's fiercely contested governorship campaign have taken yet another explosive turn, as businessman and political commentator Isaac Fayose has called for the outright disqualification of the All Progressives Congress from Saturday's election, citing a viral video in which a serving APC senator openly threatened to kill members of the Accord Party. Fayose, the younger brother of former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose, delivered his verdict in a video posted on his verified Facebook page on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, hours after the footage of Senator Francis Fadahunsi began circulating across social media platforms. The senator, who represents Osun East Senatorial District, was recorded telling APC supporters in Ilesa to "kill" any Accord Party member they encountered during the electoral process.
Fayose did not mince words. He blasted the APC and law enforcement agencies for what he described as inaction and complicity, arguing that the ruling party had forfeited any moral or legal right to participate in the election. "In a sane country, APC Osun State would be disqualified. What's the difference between this senator and DJ Chicken? Same offence, but one can get away with it while the other one was arrested," Fayose declared. He was referring to the case of DJ Chicken, a social media personality who was arrested within 48 hours of singing a critical song, highlighting what Fayose described as a glaring double standard in Nigeria's justice system. "If you want to know that there is no law in Nigeria, you always see the rich and the elite get away with everything. That is why the country can't be good," he added.
Fayose's comments struck a raw nerve, coming just days before the August 15, 2026 governorship election, which pits Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party against the APC candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, and other contenders. The video of Senator Fadahunsi, which was captured at an APC campaign rally in Ilesa, has already sparked a firestorm of condemnation across the political spectrum. Governor Adeleke demanded the senator's immediate arrest and prosecution, describing the comments as a "national security threat". The Osun State Police Command has since summoned Fadahunsi, directing him to appear at the State Criminal Investigation Department in Osogbo on Wednesday, August 12, at 11 a.m., to clarify the circumstances surrounding his remarks.
Fadahunsi has sought to defuse the controversy, insisting that his comments were taken out of context. In a statement titled "Kill Osun Accord with Votes, Not Violence," the senator argued that his words were purely political and metaphorical, intended to encourage APC supporters to defeat the Accord Party at the ballot box, not through violence. But his clarification has done little to calm the outrage. Governor Adeleke has alleged that the senator went further in the video to threaten the wives and children of Accord Party leaders, adding that more than 62 Accord Party leaders were being held by the police without charges.
Fayose's call for disqualification is rooted in the belief that the APC's conduct, exemplified by Fadahunsi's inflammatory rhetoric, has rendered the party unfit to contest the election. "DSS and police, we are still waiting for you guys to make statements. And if anything happens to anybody in Osun State on Saturday, hold that senator responsible," Fayose warned. His comments echo a broader sentiment among opposition figures, who have accused the APC of relying on electoral manipulation and intimidation because it lacks sufficient popularity in Osun State. "All APC knows how to do is rig elections. They know they are not popular in Osun," Fayose said.
The controversy has deepened already simmering tensions in Osun State, where the election has been marked by allegations of political violence, police harassment, and voter intimidation. Civil society organisations and political observers have warned that inflammatory language from political leaders could trigger violence and undermine the credibility of the electoral process. The police have deployed over 15,000 officers to the state to ensure a peaceful and credible election, but the Fadahunsi video has raised questions about the neutrality of security agencies and their willingness to hold powerful politicians accountable.
Fayose's call for disqualification has no immediate legal basis, as Nigeria's electoral laws do not provide for the disqualification of a political party based on the conduct of one of its members. However, his comments have amplified the growing chorus of voices demanding that security agencies take decisive action against Fadahunsi and send a clear message that incitement to violence will not be tolerated. Whether the police investigation will lead to charges or whether the matter will be resolved as a political misunderstanding remains to be seen. But Fayose has made his position clear: the APC, in his view, has crossed a line, and it should not be allowed to contest the election. As Osun State heads to the polls on Saturday, the controversy surrounding Senator Fadahunsi's remarks has cast a long shadow over the electoral process, underscoring the fragility of Nigeria's democracy and the urgent need for political leaders to moderate their language and respect the sanctity of the ballot box.
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