The political tension surrounding Osun State’s governorship election has escalated beyond Nigeria’s borders. Ladi Adebayo, the Accord Party’s House of Representatives candidate for Ijesa South Federal Constituency, has announced plans to petition multiple international bodies over remarks made by Senator Francis Fadahunsi, which Adebayo says threaten his life.
Adebayo, widely known as Omo Lere, said he will file complaints with the International Criminal Court (ICC), the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice, the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, the United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs, the United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, and the United Kingdom Parliament. His move comes just days before the governorship vote, adding a new layer of complexity to an already heated political contest.
A Historical Reference That Crossed a Line
The dispute centers on comments Fadahunsi made during a political rally at the Ilesa Roundabout, following an engagement at the palace of the Owa Obokun of Ijesaland. In a video cited by Adebayo, the senator is heard referring to Adebayo’s father, who had defected from the defunct Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) to the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) in 1983. Fadahunsi’s remarks reportedly noted that the father’s house was burned down that year, a statement Adebayo interprets as a direct warning.
“They call one ‘Lere’ in Iperindo. He has followed the steps of his father, Adebayo. They burnt down his father’s house some years back. He has started moving about with soldiers and has started doing wicked things to the people of Iperindo,” Fadahunsi was heard saying in the video.
Adebayo said the senator deliberately invoked one of the darkest moments in his family’s political history to intimidate him. “My deeper concern lies in the Senator’s dangerous dog whistle. During his address, he explicitly referenced the burning of my father’s house in Ilesa in 1983, which occurred after my father defected from the UPN to the NPN,” Adebayo said. “By making this historical allusion, he clearly suggested that I am destined for a similar fate.”
Internationalizing the Dispute
Adebayo said he has already begun preparations for legal action both within Nigeria and abroad. Formal petitions will be submitted to the ICC, the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice, and several international human rights and parliamentary institutions to draw global attention to what he described as escalating political intimidation in Osun State.
“I am not merely raising this issue in the public domain; I am taking decisive legal action in Nigeria and internationally,” Adebayo declared. He also placed the public on notice: “Should any harm or damage come to my properties or person, Senator Fadahunsi must be held directly and fully accountable.”
His statement carried a pointed message for the international community: “While impunity and the erosion of the rule of law may persist in Nigeria, I am placing the international community on high alert. 2026 is not 1983. The world is now a global village, and justice will not be confined to our borders.”
Background of the Controversy
The latest allegations come only days after Fadahunsi faced nationwide criticism over another viral video in which he was heard telling APC supporters in Ilesa to “kill” members of the Accord Party ahead of the governorship election. The senator has consistently denied advocating violence, insisting that his comments were either doctored or deliberately mistranslated from Yoruba. According to Fadahunsi, his message was simply that APC supporters should “kill the Accord Party with votes” at the ballot box rather than through violence.
On Wednesday, the senator honoured an invitation by the Osun State Police Command, where he was questioned for more than two hours over the controversial remarks before being released. Governor Ademola Adeleke has also demanded the senator’s arrest, describing the comments as dangerous and capable of inciting violence. The Osun State Government has instituted legal proceedings seeking to compel the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu, and the Osun State Commissioner of Police to investigate the lawmaker.
What This Means for the Election
Saturday’s Osun State governorship election has become one of Nigeria’s most closely watched off-cycle polls ahead of the 2027 general elections. The contest has been marked by heightened political tension, allegations of intimidation, inflammatory campaign rhetoric, and competing accusations between the ruling Accord Party and the opposition APC.
Security agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force, have repeatedly warned political actors against hate speech, incitement, and electoral violence, insisting that anyone found violating the Electoral Act or criminal laws will face arrest and prosecution.
Adebayo’s decision to internationalise the dispute marks a dramatic new phase in the controversy, raising the political stakes just hours before voters head to the polls. Whether the international petitions will have any immediate effect remains unclear, but the move signals a growing willingness among Nigerian politicians to seek remedies beyond domestic institutions when they feel threatened.
Accord Party House of Representatives candidate, Ladi Adebayo, accuses Senator Francis Fadahunsi of issuing veiled threats capable of inciting political violence ahead of the Osun governorship election.
Adebayo announces plans to petition the International Criminal Court (ICC), ECOWAS Court, UK Parliament and top United States congressional committees over the senator’s remarks.
The Accord candidate warns that Senator Fadahunsi should be held personally responsible if any harm comes to him or his property, citing references to the 1983 burning of his father’s house.
The latest development deepens the controversy surrounding Fadahunsi’s viral ‘Kill Accord’ comments, which have already triggered police interrogation, legal action and mounting political condemnation.
‘This Is A Dog Whistle For Violence’
Fresh Twist To Fadahunsi Controversy
Background
