Osun Govt Files Suit, Seeks Police Probe Into Election Threats
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Ahead of the Osun State governorship election scheduled for August 15, 2026, the state government has initiated legal action seeking to compel the Nigeria Police Force to investigate statements attributed to Senator Francis Fadahunsi, which allegedly called for violence against members and supporters of the Accord Party.
The suit, dated August 12, 2026, was filed at the Osogbo Division of the Osun State High Court.
The Inspector-General of Police and the Osun State Commissioner of Police are listed as the first and second respondents, respectively, while Senator Fadahunsi, who represents Osun East Senatorial District in the National Assembly, is named as the Person Affected/Interested Party.
The video allegedly shows Senator Fadahunsi addressing a political gathering in front of the Owa Obokun’s Palace in Ilesha, where he is alleged to have made statements calling for violence against members of the Accord Party.
According to the court documents, the alleged remarks included a call for APC members to kill Accord Party members wherever they encountered them, as well as threats involving their wives and children.
The applicant further alleges that the senator called for Accord Party members to be chased out of hotels and warned that the governorship election would not hold if Accord Party members resisted APC members.
Rather, the state wants the police compelled to investigate the allegations, secure and preserve the electronic evidence, and take lawful preventive measures where necessary.
The application specifically seeks the complete and unedited version of the video, its authentication and forensic examination, as well as an investigation into its location, date, audience, sponsors, publishers, circulators and other persons connected with the alleged statements.
The Attorney-General argues that the police have a statutory responsibility to prevent and detect crime, maintain public order, and protect lives and property, adding that the alleged statements, if authenticated, could amount to serious criminal conduct and threaten electoral peace.
The state is also asking the court to compel the police to take preventive measures to protect Accord Party members, supporters, candidates, agents and officials, as well as voters and other residents who may be endangered by the alleged incitement.
It further wants the police to submit a comprehensive report on the steps taken in compliance with any order of the court within 48 hours, or within such other period as the court may direct.
In its written address, the state argues that “time is of the absolute essence”, given the August 15 governorship election.
It contends that any delay in the investigation, preservation of evidence and preventive policing could expose innocent citizens to avoidable danger, potentially resulting in loss of life and irreparable harm.
The Attorney-General maintains that the reliefs sought are preventive, rather than an invitation to the court to determine Senator Fadahunsi’s guilt, and asks the court to compel the police to perform their statutory duties in the interest of public safety, electoral peace and the rule of law.
