Osun Government Takes Fadahunsi Alleged Incitement Claims to Court Ahead of Governorship Election

The Osun State Government has turned to the courts over allegations that Senator Francis Fadahunsi made remarks capable of provoking violence against members of the Accord Party, just two days before voters are due to elect the state’s next governor. The move places the alleged comments under judicial scrutiny while political tensions remain high ahead of Saturday’s August 15 governorship election.

The state government filed an application at the High Court of Justice, Osogbo Judicial Division, seeking an order compelling the Inspector-General of Police and the Osun State Commissioner of Police to investigate Fadahunsi over the alleged remarks.

The application, marked HOS/M.157/26, was filed on August 12 by the Osun Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Oluwole Jimi-Bada. Fadahunsi, who represents Osun East Senatorial District, was joined as an interested or affected party.

According to the application reported by PUNCH, the case followed the circulation of a video in which Fadahunsi was allegedly heard making statements about members of the Accord Party.

The state government alleged that he called on APC members to “kill Accord Party members anywhere they see them.” It further alleged that the senator extended the alleged call to the wives and children of Accord members.

Those claims remain allegations. The court application is asking for an investigation to establish what was actually said, whether the video is authentic and whether any criminal offence was committed.

The government therefore wants the police to obtain and preserve the complete and unedited version of the video, subject it to forensic examination and investigate how, when and where it was produced and circulated.

It also wants the police to identify people connected with the alleged recording and publication, including the audience, sponsors and publishers.

If investigators establish that an offence was committed, the state is asking that appropriate criminal proceedings be pursued regardless of the person's political position or affiliation.

The government has also asked for preventive security measures to protect Accord candidates, members, agents, voters and other residents who might be threatened because of their political affiliation.

The urgency is tied directly to the election timetable. INEC lists the Osun governorship election for August 15, 2026, meaning the court application was filed only three days before polling.

PUNCH's latest report focuses on the court action and the specific reliefs sought by the Osun Government, making the judicial process the immediate news development.

Earlier reports from PUNCH and other outlets, however, show that the dispute surrounding Fadahunsi and Accord supporters did not begin with this court application.

In July, PUNCH reported a confrontation over the arrest of Accord Party House of Representatives candidate Popoola Alaba. The Imole Campaign Council alleged that Alaba and other Accord members were abducted by police officers allegedly linked to Fadahunsi's security team. The police gave a different account, saying Alaba's arrest followed a petition concerning alleged illegal mining.

That disagreement is important because it demonstrates how accusations of political intimidation and competing claims about police conduct had already entered the Osun campaign before the latest controversy.

PUNCH later reported that Accord candidates accused the police of intimidation and sought President Bola Tinubu's intervention. Fadahunsi's media adviser rejected those accusations, describing them as politically motivated claims and saying the senator remained committed to democratic participation.

The broader political environment has also become increasingly confrontational. In February, Fadahunsi was among lawmakers who defected from the PDP to the APC, while the Accord Party has emerged as a major force in the Osun contest.

The significance of the latest case goes beyond one senator or one disputed video.

Election-related allegations become particularly sensitive when they involve language that could potentially encourage attacks against political opponents. In a state preparing for an election, claims involving threats against candidates, supporters or their families can affect whether voters feel safe enough to participate.

The Osun Government made this point directly in its application, arguing that political participation cannot be meaningful if citizens fear being attacked or intimidated because of their party affiliation, clothing, symbols or voting preference.

That concern comes against a backdrop of earlier allegations of political violence in the state. In July, Governor Ademola Adeleke's administration accused opposition figures, including Fadahunsi, of involvement in political violence and told a visiting British delegation that five Accord members had been killed and 15 others critically injured since campaigns began. Those were allegations made by the state government and should not be treated as established findings against the named individuals.

The competing narratives illustrate the central problem facing voters: accusations of political violence are being exchanged by rival camps, while security agencies are simultaneously expected to remain neutral and protect everyone participating in the election.

One of the most important elements of the government's application is its demand for the complete and unedited recording.

That request matters because short political videos can lose context when circulated online. Establishing what was actually said requires more than relying on a clipped recording or competing interpretations of its contents.

The proposed forensic examination could therefore become important if the police proceed with the investigation. Investigators would need to establish the video's authenticity, chronology and circumstances before determining whether the words attributed to Fadahunsi were actually spoken and whether they meet the threshold of a criminal offence.

Until that process is completed, the allegations should remain allegations.

INEC has repeatedly stressed the need for a credible and peaceful election. Its Osun Resident Electoral Commissioner, Oluwatoyin Babalola, previously said the commission was committed to conducting an election that reflects the will of the people and complies with electoral law.

The commission has also prepared thousands of BVAS devices for the election, including 664 backup units, as part of its preparations for the August 15 poll.

Those preparations address the technical side of voting, but election credibility also depends on what happens outside polling units.

Voters need to be able to travel to polling centres, campaign for candidates, serve as party agents and cast their ballots without intimidation. Political parties, meanwhile, have a responsibility to ensure that their supporters do not translate inflammatory rhetoric into violence.

The immediate question is whether the High Court will grant the orders sought by the Osun Government and how quickly the police will act if ordered to investigate.

The police investigation, if commenced, could also determine whether the disputed video is authentic, whether the alleged statements were made in the manner claimed and whether any criminal offence can be established.

With the election only days away, the timing leaves little room for prolonged uncertainty. The more important test now is whether political disagreements in Osun can be contained within the law and whether security agencies can investigate serious allegations without being drawn into the partisan conflict surrounding the election.

For voters, the issue is ultimately straightforward: the right to choose a government means little if people are afraid to exercise that choice.