Amnesty International Nigeria has called for an urgent and thorough investigation into inflammatory remarks attributed to Senator Francis Fadahunsi, who represents the Osun East Senatorial District, ahead of the recently concluded Osun State governorship election. The organisation made the demand in a post shared on its official social media handle, describing allegations of incitement to violence as a matter requiring prompt intervention from relevant authorities. According to Amnesty, political differences should never serve as justification for violence, regardless of the intensity of an electoral contest or the stakes involved for competing political parties.
The controversy centers on a video that circulated widely online, in which Fadahunsi was allegedly heard instructing his supporters to take violent action against members of the Accord Party ahead of the governorship election held on August 15. Amnesty International described the remarks attributed to the senator as deliberate and aimed solely at inciting a bloody electoral process in Osun State. The organisation strongly condemned the comments, emphasizing that Nigerian authorities hold a clear obligation to prohibit any advocacy of hatred capable of amounting to incitement to hostility, discrimination or violence under both domestic and international human rights standards.
Senator Fadahunsi, however, firmly denied advocating for actual physical violence against anyone, insisting that his remarks had been taken out of context following what he described as a deliberately edited video. He maintained that his reference to eliminating the Accord Party was intended figuratively, explaining that his comments were actually a response to what he characterized as ongoing violence against members of his own party, the All Progressives Congress, allegedly carried out by suspected thugs in Ilesa. According to the senator, his statement was meant as a warning against continued attacks on his supporters rather than an instruction to harm anyone.
Amnesty International’s Country Director in Nigeria, Isa Sanusi, stated that the organisation intended to use the controversy surrounding the viral video to reinforce the broader principle of holding political figures accountable for statements capable of inciting violence during elections. Sanusi stressed that advocacy of hatred constitutes a criminal offence under both Nigerian law and international human rights standards, arguing that individuals found responsible for such conduct do not deserve leniency given the potential consequences for public safety and electoral integrity.
The situation escalated further when the senator was invited by police and questioned for over two hours regarding the viral video, with authorities seeking clarification on the exact context and intent behind his remarks. The controversy also drew strong reactions from multiple other stakeholders, including the National Human Rights Commission, which demanded Fadahunsi’s immediate suspension and arrest, describing his comments as amounting to incitement to murder, electoral violence and voter intimidation. The commission specifically called on Senate leadership to suspend the senator pending a full investigation into the matter.
Beyond human rights organisations, the Peoples Democratic Party and the Accord Party also condemned the alleged remarks, while the spokesperson for Governor Adeleke’s campaign council, Pelumi Olajengbesi, threatened a N10 billion defamation suit against the lawmaker over the controversy. Amnesty International launched an online petition urging the public to support calls for accountability, stressing that the human rights of Osun State residents must be protected and that citizens should remain free to exercise their political choices without intimidation, coercion, or threats of violence from any political actor, regardless of their standing within the National Assembly.
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