The political battle ahead of the 2026 Osun State governorship election has taken a legal turn, with the campaign camp of Governor Ademola Adeleke threatening to sue Senator Francis Fadahunsi for ₦10bn over alleged defamatory remarks.
Pelumi Olajengbesi, a spokesman for Adeleke’s campaign organisation, accused the Osun East Senator of making statements capable of damaging his reputation and linking him to criminal and cult-related activities.
Olajengbesi, through his lawyer, Hammed Lasisi, issued the threat in a letter dated August 12, 2026, demanding that Fadahunsi withdraw the alleged defamatory comments and tender an unreserved public apology.
The lawyer gave the Senator 24 hours to comply with the demands or face legal action seeking ₦10bn in general and aggravated damages for alleged defamation and injurious falsehood.
The dispute centres on comments allegedly made by Fadahunsi during two separate television appearances, first on Viable TV on July 2 and later on Channels Television’s Politics Today on August 11.
According to the letter, the July 2 interview was subsequently circulated across several social media platforms, including Facebook, TikTok, WhatsApp, X and Instagram.
Olajengbesi’s legal representatives claimed that Fadahunsi questioned their client’s identity and origin during the Viable TV interview, allegedly stating that he was not from Ijebu-Jesha and was instead from somewhere in Ogun State.
The lawyer further alleged that the Senator accused Olajengbesi of using thugs as well as members of the Eiye and Aye groups.
The letter argued that the comments went beyond political criticism and allegedly created an impression that Olajengbesi was involved in sponsoring or deploying criminal elements for political activities.
Olajengbesi strongly rejected the allegations, describing them as false and damaging to his reputation as a lawyer, public figure and political actor.
The legal notice also referred to another statement allegedly made by Fadahunsi during his appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on August 11.
While discussing the late Ajayi Aderogba, popularly known as Rogba, Fadahunsi allegedly linked the deceased to the Eiye group and accused Olajengbesi of sponsoring him and using such individuals to terrorise people within his political territory.
Olajengbesi’s lawyer maintained that the alleged statement could reasonably be understood to mean that his client financed, supported or patronised members of cult groups and deployed them to intimidate or terrorise members of the public.
The lawyer described the allegation as particularly serious because it allegedly imputed criminal conduct to his client.
Olajengbesi subsequently denied ever sponsoring, financing, supporting or providing resources to any cult organisation or its members for criminal, political or unlawful activities.
He also denied authorising anybody to intimidate, attack or terrorise members of the public on his behalf.
The demand for a retraction comes at a politically sensitive period in Osun, where parties and political groups have increasingly traded accusations over alleged violence and the activities of political thugs ahead of the governorship election.
The political atmosphere in the State has already generated several allegations involving rival camps.
In July, the Osun State Government called for economic sanctions and visa restrictions against several opposition figures, including Fadahunsi, over alleged political violence. The State Government’s position was also reflected in its official communications on the security situation surrounding the election.
Separately, reports on the campaign environment have shown that the two major political camps have accused each other of involvement in violence and the destruction of campaign materials.
The Imole Campaign Council, through Olajengbesi, had previously accused individuals allegedly linked to the opposition of coordinating the destruction of campaign billboards and called on security agencies to investigate the claims. The opposition subsequently rejected the allegations and accused Government-linked actors of political violence.
The latest legal threat therefore adds another dimension to an already heated political contest.
In the letter to Fadahunsi, Olajengbesi’s lawyer demanded that the Senator retract the disputed statements using the same or comparable media channels through which they were allegedly disseminated.
The lawyer also requested an unequivocal and unreserved public apology to be published through appropriate national media outlets and social media platforms.
The demand is intended to ensure that any correction reaches audiences who may have encountered the original allegations.
The letter warned that failure to meet the demands within 24 hours would leave Olajengbesi with no option but to approach the court.
The proposed legal action would seek ₦10,000,000,000 in general and aggravated damages over the alleged defamatory statements and injurious falsehood.
At the heart of the threatened suit is the question of whether the statements attributed to Fadahunsi constitute defamatory allegations capable of causing serious damage to Olajengbesi’s reputation.
For Olajengbesi, the allegation of involvement with cult groups is particularly damaging because of his professional background as a legal practitioner and his role in the ongoing political campaign.
The dispute also illustrates how political disagreements in Osun are increasingly spilling beyond campaign rhetoric into legal threats and potential court proceedings.
Olajengbesi has become a prominent voice in Governor Adeleke’s re-election campaign, regularly responding to opposition criticisms and defending the administration’s record.
Fadahunsi, meanwhile, is the Senator representing Osun East Senatorial District and has emerged as one of the prominent opposition figures involved in the political contest in the State.
With the election approaching, the exchange between the two camps is likely to attract further attention, particularly because allegations involving cult groups, political violence and intimidation remain highly sensitive issues in electoral politics.
For now, however, no court judgment has been entered against Fadahunsi over the allegations contained in the letter. The threatened ₦10bn claim remains a proposed legal action, contingent on the Senator’s response to the 24-hour demand.
The latest development means the Senator now faces a choice between retracting the statements and issuing the demanded apology or allowing the matter to proceed to court.
Neither the threatened damages nor the allegations contained in the letter should be treated as established facts unless and until determined by a competent court.
The development comes as Osun’s political actors intensify their campaigns and public exchanges ahead of the governorship election, with security and political violence remaining major issues in the contest.
If the threatened suit is eventually filed, the court would have the opportunity to examine the disputed statements, the context in which they were made, their publication and their alleged effect on Olajengbesi’s reputation before determining whether any damages are payable.
For now, the immediate issue is the 24-hour deadline issued by Olajengbesi’s legal team and whether Senator Fadahunsi will retract the statements and apologise or defend his comments in court.