Bolaji Abdullahi says Senator Francis Fadahunsi’s controversial “go and kill them” remark was not a metaphor as tensions rise before Saturday’s election
African Democratic Congress National Publicity Secretary Bolaji Abdullahi said in Lagos on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, that the All Progressives Congress is treating the August 15 Osun State governorship election as a “do-or-die affair”, while accusing Senator Francis Fadahunsi of making a potentially dangerous remark about Accord Party supporters.
Also read: Osun poll: Dele Momodu says Adeleke faces Tinubu, not APC
Abdullahi made the allegation during an appearance on Arise Television’s Prime Time, where he was asked about a viral video involving Fadahunsi, who represents Osun East Senatorial District.
In the video, Fadahunsi appeared to tell supporters to “go and kill” members of the Accord Party ahead of Saturday’s poll.
Fadahunsi subsequently disputed that interpretation, saying his words had been taken out of context and that he meant supporters should defeat Accord politically at the ballot box.
Abdullahi rejected that explanation.
“The Osun election is a do-or-die affair to the APC. Senator Fadahunsi’s ‘go and kill them’ comment was not a metaphor,” he said.
The ADC spokesman then directed his criticism towards President Bola Tinubu, alleging that Fadahunsi’s comments reflected the political atmosphere created by the Federal Government.
“I don’t blame the senator for saying what he said; I blame the president because he got his authorisation from the president,” Abdullahi alleged.
He further claimed that Tinubu’s earlier comments about political competition had been interpreted by some party figures as permission to pursue victory by extreme means.
Those claims are Abdullahi’s political allegations and have not been established as evidence that the President authorised violence.
Tinubu did say in July, while receiving the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria at the State House, that opponents seeking to unseat him in 2027 would have to fight him politically and that “all is fair in politics”.
The President’s comments were made in the context of a democratic contest, and he did not call for violence against political opponents.
The controversy surrounding Fadahunsi has nevertheless added to an increasingly tense final stretch of the Osun campaign.
Fadahunsi was questioned by the Osun State Police Command for about two hours over the viral video, according to reports.
He maintained that he was not calling for violence and explained his words as a call to defeat the Accord Party through votes.
The incident has drawn wider political concern. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has warned against the militarisation of Saturday’s election, describing the vote as an important test of Nigeria’s democratic credibility ahead of the 2027 general election.
“Elections are civil engagements, not military operations. Ballot papers are not bullets. Voters are not enemy combatants. Opposition members are not insurgents,” Atiku said while addressing an ADC National Youth Leadership Summit.
The former vice president also called on security agencies to protect voters rather than create an atmosphere of intimidation, while urging the Independent National Electoral Commission to ensure that materials arrive on time and that results are handled transparently.
The political stakes are high for both major camps.
Governor Ademola Adeleke is seeking another term, while the APC is backing Bola Oyebamiji in an effort to regain control of a state that the party lost to Adeleke in the 2022 governorship election.
The 2022 contest was itself closely fought. Adeleke defeated the then-incumbent APC candidate Gboyega Oyetola with 403,371 votes to Oyetola’s 375,027, winning 17 of Osun’s 30 local government areas.
The political rivalry has remained intense ahead of this year’s election, with both sides portraying Saturday’s contest as consequential for the future direction of the state.
The ADC, meanwhile, has sought to position itself as an alternative force in the election and has increasingly criticised what it sees as excessive political pressure surrounding the poll.
Abdullahi’s comments therefore carry a dual message.
They are an attack on the APC’s campaign strategy, but also a warning that inflammatory political language could have consequences beyond the immediate contest between candidates.
For voters, the central issue is now whether the heightened rhetoric will remain confined to political campaigning or translate into tension at polling units and during the collation of results.
With the election only days away, political parties and security agencies face pressure to ensure that supporters are restrained, disagreements are settled through lawful channels and voters can participate without intimidation.
The Osun poll APC do-or-die allegation has added another layer to an already closely watched election.
Also read: Osun poll: Dele Momodu says Adeleke faces Tinubu, not APC
Ultimately, however, the credibility of Saturday’s contest will depend on whether Osun voters are allowed to make their choice freely and whether that choice is accurately reflected in the final result.
