Adeleke aide Pelumi Olajengbesi threatens a ₦10bn defamation suit against Senator Francis Fadahunsi over alleged cult and thuggery claims
Campaign spokesman for Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, Pelumi Olajengbesi, has threatened to sue Senator Francis Fadahunsi for ₦10 billion over alleged defamatory statements linking him to cult groups and political thuggery.
Also read: Fayose Calls for APC Disqualification Over Fadahunsi Remarks
Olajengbesi issued the threat through his lawyer, Hammed Lasisi, in a letter dated Wednesday, August 12, 2026, giving the Osun East senator 24 hours to retract the statements and issue a public apology.
The dispute comes just three days before the August 15 Osun governorship election, amid heightened political tension between rival camps and growing scrutiny of inflammatory statements by political actors.
According to the letter, Fadahunsi made the first of the disputed comments during an interview on Viable TV on July 2, 2026.
Olajengbesi’s lawyer alleged that the senator questioned his client’s identity as an indigene of Ijebu-Jesa and accused him of using political thugs and members of the Eiye and Aye groups.
The letter stated that Fadahunsi had said Olajengbesi was “not even from the same Ijebu-Jesha” and was “from somewhere in Ogun State”.
The senator was also accused of saying Olajengbesi was “using thugs, Eiye and Aye”.
Olajengbesi, a lawyer and political figure, rejected the allegations and argued that the statements were presented as factual claims capable of damaging his personal, professional and political reputation.
The legal threat escalated after another alleged remark by Fadahunsi during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday, August 11.
According to the letter, Fadahunsi referred to the late Ajayi Aderogba, popularly known as Rogba, while allegedly saying: “Rogba is an Eiye man sponsored by Barr. Olajengbesi terrorising the whole … my own territory up and down through all these Eiye and Aye.”
Olajengbesi’s legal team said the statement conveyed the impression that their client financed, supported or deployed members of the Eiye and Aye groups to intimidate or terrorise members of the public.
The campaign spokesman strongly denied the allegation.
Olajengbesi said he had never sponsored, financed, supported or patronised any cult group or its members for political, criminal or other unlawful activities.
He also denied authorising anyone to terrorise, intimidate or attack members of the public on his behalf.
His lawyer described the allegations as particularly serious because they allegedly imputed criminal conduct to a legal practitioner, public figure and candidate for elective office.
The demand is for Fadahunsi to retract the disputed statements through the same media channels and social platforms where they were allegedly published or circulated.
Olajengbesi is also seeking what his lawyer described as an unequivocal and unreserved public apology through appropriate national media and social media platforms.
The 24-hour deadline means the dispute could move quickly from the political arena into the courts if the senator does not comply.
The threatened ₦10bn defamation suit is the latest legal confrontation to emerge from an increasingly charged Osun election campaign.
Fadahunsi has already faced controversy over another set of remarks that circulated online ahead of the election.
A viral video showed the senator using the phrase “kill” in reference to the Accord Party, prompting condemnation and a police summons.
Fadahunsi subsequently said the comment was political and metaphorical, explaining that he meant supporters should defeat Accord with their votes rather than physically attack its members.
His media office said the senator had never advocated violence or intimidation against members of any political party.
The latest dispute involving Olajengbesi is separate from that investigation, but it comes against the same backdrop of rising political rhetoric ahead of Saturday’s vote.
Governor Adeleke is seeking re-election under the Accord platform, while APC candidate Bola Oyebamiji and ADC candidate Najeem Salaam are among the major challengers.
With the election only days away, accusations involving violence, cult groups and political intimidation have become increasingly prominent in the campaign.
The threatened legal action now places further pressure on Fadahunsi to respond to the allegations against him and on both political camps to moderate their rhetoric as Osun approaches polling day.
Also read: Osun Election Attack: Two APC Members Reportedly Killed
For Olajengbesi, however, the issue is no longer simply political criticism. His legal team has made clear that unless the disputed claims are withdrawn and an apology issued within the stipulated period, the matter could be placed before a court with a ₦10 billion damages claim.
