…Amnesty International says senator must be held accountable …Peter Obi condemns comments as Adeleke’s camp threatens lawsuit The Commissioner of Police in charge of the 2026 Osun State Governorship Election, CP Samuel Erale Etaifo, has invited Senator Francis Fadahunsi to clarify remarks attributed to him in a viral video ahead……
…Amnesty International says senator must be held accountable
…Peter Obi condemns comments as Adeleke’s camp threatens lawsuit
The Commissioner of Police in charge of the 2026 Osun State Governorship Election, CP Samuel Erale Etaifo, has invited Senator Francis Fadahunsi to clarify remarks attributed to him in a viral video ahead of Saturday’s governorship election.
The invitation was contained in a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Abiodun Ojelabi, who said the move was aimed at fostering mutual understanding and preventing any escalation of tension ahead of the poll.
The police said the invitation should not be misconstrued as intimidation, describing it as a proactive measure to safeguard peace and security.
CP Etaifo condemned the statement attributed to Fadahunsi, saying it could heighten tension ahead of the election.
The police commissioner urged political leaders and public office holders to exercise restraint and avoid statements capable of undermining public confidence in the electoral and security arrangements put in place for the poll.
He reaffirmed the commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to neutrality, professionalism and the protection of democratic values, warning that the command would not tolerate acts, utterances or conduct capable of inciting violence or disrupting public peace.
CP Etaifo also appealed to political actors, their supporters and members of the public to remain law-abiding, shun inflammatory rhetoric and channel grievances through lawful means.
He assured stakeholders that the police would continue to maintain law and order before, during and after the election, while urging all parties to place the peace and stability of Osun State above partisan interests.
The police invitation follows the circulation of a video in which Fadahunsi, an All Progressives Congress lawmaker representing Osun East, was alleged to have made remarks against members of the Accord Party, whose candidate is the incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke.
The development has drawn condemnation from Amnesty International, which called on Nigerian authorities to investigate and hold the senator accountable over the alleged remarks.
In a post on its X handle, the human rights organisation described the alleged comments as “deliberate and solely aimed at inciting a bloody poll in Osun State”.
Amnesty International said Nigerian authorities have an obligation to prohibit advocacy of hatred that constitutes incitement to hostility, discrimination or violence, adding: “Senator Fadahunsi must be held accountable.”
Former Anambra State governor, Peter Obi, also criticised the alleged remarks, describing them as “inflammatory” and “threat-laden rhetoric” ahead of the election.
In a statement, Obi said, “As a high-ranking lawmaker representing the people in the National Assembly, Senator Fadahunsi carries a solemn constitutional and moral responsibility to promote peace, uphold democratic norms, and foster unity.”
He added that it was “alarming and unacceptable” for a senator to deploy language capable of “heightening tensions, instilling fear in voters, and potentially inciting electoral violence in Osun State.”
Obi called on Fadahunsi to “retract these harmful statements and tender an apology to the peaceful people of Osun State.”
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He also urged political leaders, stakeholders and party supporters to exercise restraint, while calling on security agencies to monitor inflammatory statements and provide equal protection for citizens, election officials and voters before, during and after the poll.
Adeleke had earlier accused Fadahunsi of inciting violence against Accord Party supporters, describing the alleged comments as a national security concern.
The governor called for a thorough investigation and urged the authorities to take action against the senator, arguing that the matter had gone beyond partisan politics.
Adeleke also called for Fadahunsi’s immediate arrest and urged security agencies to investigate the alleged incitement. He further accused police operatives of arresting Accord Party leaders across local government areas in the state.
Fadahunsi, however, rejected the allegations, maintaining that he was not inciting violence and that his remarks had been taken out of context.
The senator said the video in circulation had been edited to distort his message, arguing that he was responding to alleged attacks and killings involving APC members in Ilesa and other parts of Osun State.
According to Fadahunsi, his warning was that APC members would retaliate if the alleged attacks continued. He maintained that his position was aimed at ending violence and seeking justice for members of his party.
The controversy has also spilt into a separate dispute involving Pelumi Olajengbesi, a campaign spokesman for Governor Adeleke.
In a letter issued on behalf of Olajengbesi, his lawyers alleged that statements made by Fadahunsi during separate media appearances had damaged their client’s reputation.
The letter read in part, “On 2nd July 2026, our client’s attention was drawn to a live interview granted by you and aired on Viable TV, which was subsequently reproduced, republished, and widely disseminated through Facebook, TikTok, WhatsApp, X, Instagram, and other social and digital media platforms.
“During the said interview, you launched a direct attack on the identity, character, and reputation of our Client by stating, among other things, that our Client was ‘not even from the same Ijebu-Jesha’ and was ‘from somewhere in Ogun State.’ You further accused him of ‘using thugs, Eiye and Aye.’
“These statements directly questioned our client’s identity and origin as a son of Ijebu-Jesa and, more gravely, imputed that he sponsors, associates with, and/or deploys thugs and members of the Eiye and Aye cult groups in furtherance of his political activities.
“Again, on 11th August 2026, during your live appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, you made another direct statement concerning our client while commenting on the late Ajayi Aderogba, also known as Rogba, to wit: ‘Rogba is an Eiye man sponsored by Barr. Olajengbesi terrorising the whole … my own territory up and down through all these Eiye and Aye.’
“The natural, ordinary, and unmistakable meaning conveyed by the above statement is that our client sponsors, finances, supports, and/or patronises members of the Eiye and Aye cult groups and deploys them to terrorise members of the public.”
Olajengbesi denied the allegations, describing them as false, defamatory and damaging to his personal, professional and political reputation.
“The allegation of sponsoring cultists and persons engaged in acts of terror is particularly serious, as it imputes criminality and conduct wholly incompatible with our client’s standing as a legal practitioner, public figure, and candidate for elective office,” the letter stated.
Olajengbesi also said he had never sponsored, financed, supported, patronised or provided resources to any cult group or its members for criminal, political or unlawful activities.
He further denied authorising anyone to terrorise, intimidate or attack members of the public on his behalf.
The developments come amid heightened political tension in Osun ahead of the August 15 governorship election, with political actors and security authorities calling for restraint and warning against statements or actions capable of threatening the peaceful conduct of the poll.
