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From Godwin Tsa, Abuja
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and two chieftains of the party in Osun State have called on the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the Department of State Service (DSS) to investigate Senator Francis Fadahunsi over alleged acts of intimidation and harassment against them.
The PDP and its executives, Mr Sunday Bisi, state chairman and Alhaji Mustapha Sikiru, director of administration, accused Senator Fadahunsi of threatening them for dragging him to court over his defection from the party.
They, therefore, urged the police and DSS to launch an investigation into the matter to ascertain whether an offence had been committed for the purpose of prosecution and/or with the aim of calling the legislator to order to forestall any planned criminal action against his clients’ lives and property.
However, in a swift response, Senator Francis Fadahunsi, who is representing Osun East senatorial district, however, denied all the allegations in a telephone chat. “What is their problem? What is their fear? I didn’t join the party (PDP) through Sunday or Mustapha Sikiru. So, I don’t think I have any dealing with them.
“I have already resigned from the party from my ward. So, I am neither from Sunday’s ward nor from his constituency.
“My constituency is Ijesa North. So, why should Sunday be apprehensive? Is it because I left PDP? Is it today people have been leaving PDP?
“So why are they crying foul when there is no problem? Why are they afraid? Go and tell them to go and relax sir and do their work.”
The petition dated September 5 and signed by their counsel, Raphael Oyewole, alleged that the controversy followed the defection of Fadahunsi and four other lawmakers to another party.
A certified true copy of the petition with a received stamp of the police dated September 8, 2025, was made available to newsmen on Thursday in Abuja.
It was titled: “Petition against Senator Francis Adenigba Fadahunsi for Criminal Intimidation, Harassment and Threat to Life of Mustapha Sikiru and Sunday Bisi, Chairman of PDP in Osun State; “A Call for Urgent Intervention to Prevent loss of Lives and Breach of Peace.”
Oyewole said the PDP in Osun had, in May and August, “instituted five separate suits before the Federal High Court (FHC), Abuja, seeking judicial determination on the unlawful defection of five sitting members of the National Assembly. “
“We are solicitors to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State, Alh. Mustapha Sikiru and Sunday Bisi, hereinafter collectively referred to as ‘your petitioners’ and on whose firm and unequivocal instructions we make the following representations.
“The PDP is a duly registered and widely recognised political party in Nigeria, while your other petitioners are the Director of Administration and the Chairman of the party in Osun State, respectively.”
According to the lawyer, these legislators, having been duly elected on the platform of the PDP, brazenly abandoned the party in the very course of their subsisting tenure, in flagrant violation of Section 68(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). “Among the defendants in the said suits is Senator Francis Adenigba Fadahunsi, the suspect in this petition,” he said.
The lawyer alleged that rather than submit to the lawful jurisdiction of the court and allow the legal process to take its natural course, the senator resorted to acts of intimidation, harassment and threat to life in an attempt to pervert the course of justice.
Oyewole alleged that the lawmaker called the party official on telephone to threaten, harass and intimidate them.
“The senator’s statements were laced with insults, intimidation and a clear threat of grievous harm, simply because your petitioners carried out their lawful duty of filing and deposing to court processes in a constitutional suit involving his unlawful defection from the PDP,” he said.
He said the telephone conversation, allegedly conducted in Yoruba, was translated into English in the petition.
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“Sir, Sections 86 of the Criminal Code Act makes it a criminal offence to threaten another with injury to person, reputation, or property, with intent to cause alarm or compel that person to refrain from doing any lawful act.
“Senator Fadahunsi’s conduct falls squarely within these provisions,” he said.
The lawyer said his clients had been apprehensive for their lives and safety, given the lawmaker’s political influence.
“This valuable intelligence is to put your office on high alert, that should any harm come to your petitioners, their families and legal representatives, the suspect should be held liable,” he said.
Oyewole, therefore, urged the police and DSS to launch an investigation into the matter to ascertain whether an offence had been committed for the purpose of prosecution and/or with the aim of calling the legislator to order to forestall any planned criminal action against his clients’ lives and property.
Fadahunsi has vehemently denied all the allegations contained in the petition.
When the reporter told the senator that the reason for the petition was hinged on his telephone call with Mustapha, which was considered to be a threat to life, the lawmaker said: “Which threat? Is it today Mustapha, this my small boy, has been calling me? Is it today I have been calling him?
“Is he a member of PDP? Is he not a worker in PDP’s office? So why must I go so low?
“The governor defected from PDP to APC and back to PDP, did heaven fall? That’s the question I am asking you?
“Political parties are free association. So there shouldn’t be any quarrel. But if they have not slept because I left too, that is their problem.”
He said he was focused to deliver dividends of democracy to his senatorial district and would not be distracted.
The lawmaker said he was done with PDP after he had worked to bring up the party in the state for six years.
“None of them was a single contributor to PDP when PDP was nothing.. Where were they?” Fadahunsi asked.
“So I won’t join issues with them. If they want to go to court, I wish them good luck. All of them are all my boys,” he said.
The senator said he was ready to work for President Bola Tinubu ‘s re-election bid.
“I told them if you want to work for President Tinubu and if they don’t want to, nobody is quarrelling with them. So nobody is forcing them. It is a free world,” he concluded.
Five lawmakers from Osun recently defected from PDP to All Progressives Congress (APC).
They are Olubiyi Fadeyi representing Osun Central Senatorial District; Omirin Olusanya who represents Atakumosa East/West and Ilesa East/West Federal Constituency and Taofeek Ajilesoro representing Ife Central/East/North and South Federal Constituency.
Others include Oluwole Oke who represents Obokun/Oriade Federal Constituency and Sen. Fadahunsi.
