Fadahunsi’s ‘Killing’ Threat: Turaki-led PDP Faction Accuses APC Of Turning Elections Into War

The Tanimu Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of increasingly deploying inflammatory rhetoric and threats of violence in its pursuit of political power, warning that such conduct poses a grave danger to Nigeria’s democracy.

The faction’s National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, made the allegation in a statement on Wednesday while reacting to a viral video in which Senator Francis Fadahunsi was allegedly heard saying: “So, we have come to tell you, up till the day of the election, if we see them, it is killing.”

The  faction described the statement as “uncivilised and appalling,” expressing concern that such rhetoric could further escalate tension ahead of the Osun State governorship election.

According to them, Fadahunsi’s alleged comment was not an isolated incident but part of what it described as a pattern of “warlike rhetoric” associated with the ruling APC.

It recalled remarks previously attributed to the APC’s presidential candidate, including that “political power is not going to be served in a restaurant,” alongside the call to “fight for it, grab it, and run with it.”

The faction argued that such statements and other political utterances had contributed to what it described as an unprecedented escalation of political tension in the country.

“Elections were not structured as a do-or-die contest but as an opportunity for the masses to freely choose their leaders,” the statement said.

The faction alleged that the country was instead witnessing a ruling party that had “normalised warlike rhetoric,” allegedly intimidating citizens, silencing opposition voices and working to impose predetermined outcomes on the electorate ahead of the 2027 general elections.

It therefore demanded a transparent investigation into the alleged Fadahunsi statement and other threats capable of undermining peaceful, free and credible elections in Osun State.

The faction also called on President Bola Tinubu, the APC and its officials to desist from what it described as the deployment of “anti-democratic narratives and threats” in the name of political communication.

It insisted that civility must take centre stage in political discourse and that elections must genuinely reflect the will of the people freely expressed through the ballot.

“This is the irreducible minimum, which the government and all political parties must adhere to, in the interest of the survival of democracy and the country,” the faction said.

The statement comes amid heightened political activities surrounding the Osun governorship election and growing concerns over inflammatory rhetoric ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The PDP faction warned that political competition must not be allowed to degenerate into intimidation and violence, stressing that democratic power should be secured through the ballot rather than threats or bloodshed.