Defection Tussle: Osun PDP Petitions Police, DSS Over Alleged Death Threat by Senator Fadahunsi

By Correspondent in Abuja.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State and two of its officials have petitioned the Inspector-General of Police and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), accusing Senator Francis Adenigba Fadahunsi of threatening their lives following his defection from the party.

The petitioners include the state PDP Chairman, Mr. Sunday Bisi, and the party’s Director of Administration, Alhaji Mustapha Sikiru. The petition, signed by their counsel, Raphael Oyewole, was dated September 5 and acknowledged by the police and DSS on September 8.

According to the petition,signed by Barrister Raphael Oyewole and copied journalists in Abuja on Wednesday,the alleged threats arose after the PDP instituted five separate suits before the Federal High Court, Abuja, challenging the defection of five federal lawmakers, including Fadahunsi, who represents Osun East Senatorial District, to another party.

Oyewole alleged that rather than allow the legal process to run its course, the senator resorted to intimidation, harassment, and threats against the petitioners. He claimed that Fadahunsi called the party officials on the phone, using language “laced with insults and clear threats of grievous harm,” simply because they carried out their lawful duties by filing court processes against his defection.

The lawyer noted that the alleged threats, originally made in Yoruba, were translated into English in the petition. He further argued that the senator’s conduct contravenes Section 86 of the Criminal Code Act, which criminalizes threats intended to cause alarm or deter lawful actions.

“This valuable intelligence is to put your office on high alert that should any harm come to your petitioners, their families, or legal representatives, the suspect should be held liable,” Oyewole stated, urging security agencies to investigate the matter and prosecute if necessary.

In his reaction, Senator Fadahunsi dismissed the allegations as baseless, insisting he had no dealings with the petitioners.

“What is their problem? I didn’t join PDP through Sunday or Mustapha Sikiru. I have already resigned from the party at my ward level. Why should Sunday be apprehensive? People have been leaving PDP for years,” the senator said in a telephone interview.

On the alleged threat to life, he scoffed: “Which threat? Is it today Mustapha, this my small boy, has been calling me? Why must I go so low? Political parties are voluntary associations. If they are losing sleep because I left, that is their problem.”

Fadahunsi added that he remained focused on delivering the dividends of democracy to his constituents and would not be distracted by “petty quarrels.”

“I worked for six years to build PDP in Osun. None of them was there when the party was struggling. If they want to go to court, I wish them good luck. They are all my boys,” he said.

The senator also declared support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid, stressing that politics should not be a source of enmity.

Recently, five federal lawmakers from Osun defected from PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC). They include Senator Olubiyi Fadeyi (Osun Central), Rep. Omirin Olusanya (Atakumosa East/West and Ilesa East/West), Rep. Taofeek Ajilesoro (Ife Federal Constituency), Rep. Oluwole Oke (Obokun/Oriade), and Senator Fadahunsi (Osun East).

Edited by Dada Ahmed.