The open call by a sitting senator to “kill” opposition supporters is a direct assault on democracy and must be condemned without qualification.

The video shared by Davido on 11 August 2026 captures Senator Francis Ade Fadahunsi (APC, Osun East) addressing supporters in Ilesa and stating, in substance, that from now until the election, whenever they see Accord Party members they should kill them; that he authorises it; that those people also have wives and children; and that even holders of voter cards will not be allowed to vote on election day.

Multiple independent Nigerian outlets have verified and reported the footage and the translation.

That is not campaign rhetoric. It is an explicit incitement to murder and voter suppression by a federal legislator.

It is illegal under Nigerian criminal law, a violation of the Constitution’s guarantee of the right to life and political participation, and a reckless contribution to the already toxic atmosphere surrounding the 15 August 2026 Osun governorship election.

No amount of partisan spin can sanitise a public authorisation of killings.

A senator who utters those words has forfeited any claim to statesmanship; the responsible course is immediate investigation, possible suspension from party structures, and prosecution if the evidence holds.

### Broader context, not excuse

Osun is currently gripped by reciprocal accusations of political violence. Governor Ademola Adeleke’s camp (Accord) has repeatedly alleged that APC-linked thugs, sometimes operating with alleged police complicity, have killed or injured his supporters in recent months and that federal weight is being deployed to intimidate.

The APC has countered with its own body-count claims against Accord-aligned actors and has accused the governor of shielding criminals.

Independent reporting confirms sporadic shootings, vandalised billboards, and fatalities on both sides in the run-up to the poll. Inspector-General of Police visits and peace meetings have already been required.

This is the classic Nigerian “do-or-die” pattern that has scarred elections for decades—1983 included, which Adeleke himself has invoked.

It is not invented by the current APC leadership, nor is it unique to it. What is new and especially dangerous is a sitting National Assembly member openly licensing lethal force against identifiable opponents four days before voting.

That crosses from thuggery into institutionalised threat. When a federal lawmaker frames the contest as one in which the other side’s supporters may be eliminated and disenfranchised, he is teaching that power is retained by blood, not by ballots.

That is precisely the toxic reversion the public is being asked to accept.

### Popularity is not a capital offence

Governor Adeleke’s relative popularity in Osun is not mysterious. He has delivered visible projects, maintained a populist style, and benefits from genuine grassroots and celebrity support (including his nephew Davido).

In a democracy, popularity is supposed to be rewarded but such not to be punished at the ballot box. The proper response from any opposing party is to campaign harder, improve its own record, and persuade voters.

Threatening lives, authorising killings, or creating an atmosphere of fear so that people stay home is the opposite of democratic competition.

It is an admission that the argument cannot be won on performance or persuasion. If the APC genuinely believes its candidate is stronger, it should welcome a free vote rather than talk of denying people the right to cast one.

### Strongest possible terms

Any politics that treats the physical elimination or intimidation of opponents as legitimate is deadly and must be rejected.

The language used by Senator Fadahunsi is the language of assassination culture. It normalises the idea that political difference is a capital offence.

It endangers not only Adeleke’s supporters but every Nigerian who believes elections should decide power.

It damages the APC’s own claim to progressive governance under President Tinubu, because a party that cannot discipline or distance itself from such statements owns the toxicity. It also damages Nigeria’s international standing and the credibility of every future election.

Security agencies, INEC, and the federal government have a duty to treat this as more than “campaign talk.” Investigate the video, protect citizens of every party, prosecute clear incitement, and ensure that Saturday’s vote is decided by those who turn up with their cards—not by those who decide who is allowed to live long enough to use them.

Political actors on every side must publicly renounce violence and instruct their supporters accordingly. Anything less is complicity.

Nigeria has buried enough people to the sound of “do or die.” Osun does not need another chapter.

The people of the state, including those who support Adeleke’s record and those who prefer the APC alternative, deserve to reward or reject performance with their votes—not with funerals.

-Daily BuzzWire