Human rights lawyer Deji Adeyanju has called on the United States, United Kingdom and Canada to impose sanctions on Senator Francis Fadahunsi over his alleged threat against members of the Accord Party ahead of the Osun State governorship election.
Adeyanju said he had petitioned the three countries, asking them to consider visa restrictions and other sanctions against the senator over the alleged remarks.
He also urged all major candidates in the election to condemn threats and calls for violence against political opponents.
Adeyanju made the comments while appearing on Arise TV’s Prime Time, where he discussed the rising political tension ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
Reacting to the viral remarks attributed to Fadahunsi, Adeyanju said the statement was disturbing and could encourage attacks against members of the opposition party.
“Very regrettably threatening that members of the Accord Party be killed,” Adeyanju said.
He added that, in his view, the senator was allegedly encouraging attacks against Accord members.
Adeyanju Raises Concern Over Election Violence
Adeyanju said the United States, which has repeatedly expressed interest in democratic development in Nigeria, should pay attention to the situation and alleged threats of political violence surrounding the Osun election.
He said he had petitioned the US, UK and Canadian authorities to draw their attention to the matter and seek appropriate action.
“For a very long time, we’ve not witnessed this level of violence preceding an election,” he said.
The lawyer also called on political parties and candidates to avoid inflammatory statements and ensure that their supporters conduct themselves peacefully before and during the election.
Adeyanju Rates Osun Candidates
Speaking about the Arise Town Hall featuring the leading Osun governorship candidates, Adeyanju said he was not impressed with the performance of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, accusing him of making broad promises without sufficiently explaining how they would be implemented.
He, however, praised the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for what he described as a combative performance, particularly his challenge to the incumbent governor over the management of state resources.
Adeyanju said Governor Ademola Adeleke impressed him the most during the town hall because he attempted to explain some of the projects implemented by his administration.
He rated the performance 60/40 in favour of Adeleke over the APC candidate.
Adeyanju also said Adeleke raised allegations against the APC, some of which he claimed had already been discussed on social media, including allegations of interference in the democratic process.
