The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has defended Senator Francis Fadahunsi over the inciting comments attributed to him.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi, the Osun APC said Fadahunsi had been quoted out of context and accused Governor Ademola Adeleke and the Accord Party of exploiting the controversy for political purposes ahead of Saturday’s governorship election.
The party said it did not support jungle justice or violence, but argued that the controversy surrounding Fadahunsi’s comments had been fuelled by what it described as a doctored version of his remarks.
The statement said “the party believed the senator’s comments had been presented without their proper context”.
The APC alleged that “Adeleke’s criticism of Fadahunsi was connected to the senator’s defection from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and recent political developments ahead of the election”.
It also cited the endorsement of APC governorship candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, by former Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola, former Secretary to the State Government Fatai Akinbade and former South-West PDP Deputy Chairman Tajudeen Oladipo.
The party claimed that the endorsements had altered the political calculations ahead of the poll, although it did not provide independent evidence for its assertion that the development was responsible for the governor’s actions.
The APC accused the state government of failing to adequately address alleged killings involving its members and supporters in Ijesaland, while questioning what it described as the governor’s response to the security situation.
However, the party maintained that it did not endorse violence, stressing that any allegation of threats or incitement should be addressed through lawful channels.
Separately, lawyers representing Olajengbesi issued a formal letter of demand to Fadahunsi over statements allegedly made during interviews on Viable TV on July 2 and Channels Television’s Politics Today on August 11.
The letter, signed by Hammed Lasisi of Law Corridor on behalf of Olajengbesi, accused “Fadahunsi of making statements that allegedly questioned Olajengbesi’s origin and linked him to cult groups and alleged acts of violence.”
According to the letter, “Fadahunsi allegedly described Olajengbesi during the Viable TV interview as being not even from the same Ijebu-Jesha and from somewhere in Ogun State”, while also accusing him of “using thugs, Eiye and Aye”.
The lawyers cited a statement allegedly made by Fadahunsi during the Channels Television programme in which he referred to the late Ajayi Aderogba, popularly known as Rogba, as an “Eiye man sponsored by Barrister Olajengbesi”.
Olajengbesi’s lawyers said their client denied “the allegations and demanded that Fadahunsi cease making similar claims, retract the statements, issue a public apology and provide a written undertaking not to repeat them within 24 hours of receiving the letter.”
The lawyers warned that “failure to comply would lead to legal proceedings seeking, among other reliefs, damages of ₦10 billion for alleged defamation and injurious falsehood, as well as injunctions, costs and other remedies available under the law.”
Osun Election: APC defends Sen Fadahunsi as Accord threatens legal action