Fadahunsi's 'Killing' Threat Stokes Osun 2026 Political Firestorm

Ahead of Saturday’s governorship election in Osun State, concerns about political violence and voter intimidation have escalated, drawing strong condemnations and calls for intervention from various political actors. The Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Hon. Adewale Egbedun, has specifically urged the Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, to take action against alleged promoters of violence.

Egbedun demanded the arrest and prosecution of Francis Eniade, the All Progressives Congress (APC) House of Representatives candidate for the Ifelodun, Boripe and Odo-Otin Federal Constituency, citing alleged threats of violence and death against non-members or non-supporters of his party. Furthermore, the Speaker also called for the prosecution of Senator Francis Fadahunsi, who represents Osun East, for allegedly instigating violence within the state. Egbedun expressed alarm that what should be a peaceful exercise of constitutional rights was being overshadowed by disturbing statements, threats, intimidation, and attempts to suppress voters.

Highlighting a particular incident, Egbedun referenced a video in which Francis Eniade allegedly issued specific threats against him, as the Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, and other eligible voters within the Odo-Otin, Boripe and Ifelodun Federal Constituency. He firmly stated that such actions are unacceptable in a democratic society, asserting that no political ambition justifies endangering the lives of Osun citizens. Despite the threats, Egbedun charged eligible voters not to be intimidated and to exercise their constitutional right to vote freely and peacefully.

Adding to the chorus of concern, the Tanimu Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the APC of increasingly deploying inflammatory rhetoric and threats of violence, warning of grave dangers to Nigeria’s democracy. The PDP faction's National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, reacted to a viral video where Senator Francis Fadahunsi was allegedly heard saying, “So, we have come to tell you, up till the day of the election, if we see them, it is killing.” The PDP faction condemned this statement as “uncivilised and appalling,” expressing apprehension that such rhetoric could escalate tensions ahead of the Osun State governorship election.

The PDP faction characterized Fadahunsi’s alleged comment not as an isolated incident but as part of a pattern of “warlike rhetoric” associated with the ruling APC. They recalled previous remarks attributed to the APC’s presidential candidate, including the assertion that “political power is not going to be served in a restaurant,” alongside calls to “fight for it, grab it, and run with it.” The faction argued that such statements have contributed to an unprecedented escalation of political tension across the country, fundamentally undermining the democratic ideal that elections should be an opportunity for the masses to freely choose their leaders, not a “do-or-die” contest.

Alleging that the country was witnessing a ruling party that has “normalised warlike rhetoric,” the PDP faction claimed this behavior was intimidating citizens, silencing opposition voices, and working to impose predetermined outcomes on the electorate ahead of the 2027 general elections. Consequently, they demanded a transparent investigation into Fadahunsi’s alleged statement and other threats that could undermine peaceful, free, and credible elections in Osun State. The faction also called on President Bola Tinubu, the APC, and its officials to cease the deployment of “anti-democratic narratives and threats” in political communication, insisting that civility must be central to political discourse and that elections must genuinely reflect the free will of the people.