Senator Francis Fadahunsi has instructed supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to closely monitor how voters cast their ballots in the ongoing Osun State governorship election, warning that those who fail to support the party should be identified and “dealt with.”
Fadahunsi, who represents Osun East Senatorial District, reportedly gave the instruction at his polling unit, Polling Unit 1, NUD Primary School, Ilase-Ijesa, where voting was underway on Saturday.
In a video obtained by ChroniclesReporters, the senator is heard speaking to APC supporters in the Yoruba language and urging them to pay close attention to the choices being made by voters at the polling unit.
According to the report, Fadahunsi told the APC supporters not to simply accept claims from voters that they had voted for the party, but to monitor their choices and identify those who vote for other candidates.
“Be watching who the people are voting for. It is not that someone will tell you that he voted for us. Anyone who votes for the person they are not supposed to vote for should be dealt with,” Fadahunsi was quoted as saying.
The remarks have sparked fresh controversy amid concerns about voter intimidation and the freedom of voters to cast their ballots according to their choice.
The latest development has also brought back into focus an earlier video in which Fadahunsi was reportedly heard threatening members of the Accord Party with death ahead of the Osun governorship election.
ChroniclesReporters had earlier reported that Fadahunsi, while addressing APC supporters in Ilesa, Osun State, warned them to attack Accord Party members if they were seen in the area before election day.
“If we hear of Accord Party again in Ilesa here for the election coming up on Saturday, you can record me and say it anywhere,” he said in the video.
The senator also made derogatory remarks about Accord Party members before questioning his supporters about alleged killings involving APC members.
“How many people have you seen APC killed or aren’t your people killed?” he asked.
He then allegedly issued the threat, saying: “So we are here now to tell you that till the day of the election, if we see any Accord Party members, we’ll kill them. We cannot be watching.”
Fadahunsi also reportedly warned that Accord Party members who had their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) would not be allowed to vote.
He further warned traditional chiefs whom he accused of supporting the Accord Party.
With voters across Osun State turning out to choose their next governor, the senator’s latest instruction, combined with his previously reported threat against Accord Party members, has heightened concerns about political tension, voter intimidation and possible election-day violence.
The comments are likely to come under close scrutiny as authorities, political parties, observers and voters monitor the conduct of the election and the safety of participants across the state.