Amnesty International has vowed to make Senator Francis Fadahunsi an example in its campaign against inflammatory political statements and incitement to violence ahead of Saturday’s governorship election in Osun State.
The Country Director of Amnesty International Nigeria, Isa Sanusi, said the organisation would pursue accountability over alleged remarks by the senator and publicise the case across the 150 countries where Amnesty International operates.
Sanusi spoke on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Thursday while reacting to the controversy generated by a video allegedly showing Fadahunsi, who represents Osun East Senatorial District, making remarks interpreted as a call for violence against members of the Accord Party.
Fadahunsi, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has come under criticism following the circulation of the video on social media.
The Osun State Police Command had summoned the senator on Tuesday over the remarks and questioned him for about two hours on Wednesday.
Speaking on the development, Sanusi said Amnesty International would use the case to demonstrate that politicians could not make statements capable of provoking violence without consequences.
“We are going to use him as an example. We have had so many terrible politicians say terrible things ahead of the election,” he said.
“But this one is exceptional, a situation where somebody came out on record, saying that ‘kill them wherever you find them’.”
Sanusi said Amnesty International considered advocacy of hatred and incitement to violence serious violations that required a firm response from the authorities.
He said the organisation would continue to demand accountability and challenge what he described as impunity among political actors.
“I believe that that person does not deserve any peace again, because advocacy of hatred is a crime under international law as well as Nigerian laws,” he said.
“Therefore, we are going to use this man as an example to show that the impunity by Nigerian politicians cannot continue and we cannot tolerate it again.”
The Amnesty director said the organisation would ensure that the matter received international attention as part of its efforts to discourage political actors from making statements capable of triggering violence during elections.
Amnesty International Nigeria had earlier condemned the alleged remarks, warning that authorities had a responsibility to prevent advocacy of hatred where it amounted to incitement to hostility, discrimination or violence.
Fadahunsi to be held accountable
In a statement published on its X account on Wednesday, the organisation called for Fadahunsi to be held accountable.
“Amnesty International strongly condemns Francis Fadahunsi (APC) — senator representing the Osun East Senatorial District, who was on video during campaign, instructing his supporters to kill members of the Accord Party ahead of the state’s August 15 governorship election,” the organisation said.
It described the alleged remarks as reckless and said they could contribute to violence during the election.
The organisation added that Nigerian authorities must take urgent action against statements advocating violence, whether made during political campaigns or disseminated online.
“The authorities must urgently denounce any statements, live, online or otherwise, which advocate violence,” Amnesty International said.
The controversy comes amid heightened political activities across Osun State ahead of the governorship election, with stakeholders and election observers warning against hate speech, vote-buying, intimidation and other conduct capable of undermining a peaceful poll.
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