Senator Francis Fadahunsi has maintained that remarks he made in a viral video ahead of the August 15 governorship election in Osun State were wrongly interpreted by individuals who do not understand the Yoruba language.
The controversy arose after singer David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, shared a video on Tuesday in which the senator was alleged to have called for the killing of members of the Accord Party during a political gathering. The video sparked widespread criticism on social media and generated concern over the tone of political rhetoric ahead of the election.
Following the public outrage, the Osun State Police Command invited Fadahunsi for questioning. The senator honoured the invitation and later spoke with journalists while leaving the police headquarters.
Addressing reporters, Fadahunsi denied making any statement encouraging violence and insisted that his words had been distorted through inaccurate translation. He said the interpretation circulating online did not reflect what he actually said in Yoruba.
“I have met the police, and I have explained what I said, not what has been attributed to me by those who mischievously interpreted the Yoruba language,” he said.
The senator stressed that he spoke entirely in Yoruba and argued that the meaning of many Yoruba expressions can change significantly when translated by people who are not native speakers.
“I am a Yoruba man and I spoke in Yoruba. If someone who is not a Yoruba speaker interprets Yoruba for me, the meaning can be altered because Yoruba expressions often have multiple meanings depending on context,” he added.
Fadahunsi explained that his statement was intended as a call for political mobilisation rather than violence. According to him, he urged supporters to defeat their opponents through the ballot box.
“What I said was that between now and Saturday we should defeat them with our votes. That was the message I conveyed. Anyone who watches the full video carefully will see that I was referring to voting,” he said.
He therefore rejected claims that he called for physical harm against members of any political party and urged the public to rely on the original context of his speech rather than on what he described as misleading interpretations.
The senator also appealed for calm as political activities intensify across Osun State, saying elections should be conducted peacefully and democratically.
The incident has continued to attract public attention because of heightened political tension ahead of the governorship poll. Political observers say the controversy underscores the sensitivity of campaign language and the importance of accurate translation in a multilingual society.
The police have not yet announced the outcome of their interaction with the senator, but officials say they are examining the circumstances surrounding the viral video as part of efforts to maintain peace before the election.
Fadahunsi’s clarification comes amid repeated appeals by political leaders, civil society groups and security agencies for restraint in public statements and campaign activities ahead of Saturday’s governorship election in Osun State.
