Defection crisis: PDP, officials petition Osun senator, allege threat to life
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and two of its officials in Osun have written a petition against Sen. Francis Fadahunsi accusing the lawmaker of threatening them for dragging him to court over his defection from the party.
The PDP’s executives include Mr Sunday Bisi, the state’s Chairman and Alhaji Mustapha Sikiru, the Director of Administration.
The petition, which was signed by Rapheal Oyewole, counsel to the petitioners, were addressed to the Inspector-General (I-G) of Police and Director-General of Department of State Services (DSS).
The lawyer alleged that the controversy followed the defection of Fadahunsi, who currently represents Osun East Senatorial District in the Senate, and four other lawmakers to another party.
The petition was dated Sept. 5 and received by the police and DSS on Sept. 8.
A certified true copy of the petition was made available to newsmen on Thursday in Abuja.
It was titled: “Petition against Senator Francis Adenigba Fadahunsi for Criminal Intimidation, Harassment and Threat to Life of Alh. Mustapha Sikiru and Hon. Sunday Bisi, Chairman of PDP in Osun State;
“A Call for Urgent Intervention to Prevent loss of Lives and Breach of Peace.”
Oyewole said the PDP in Osun had, in May and August, “instituted five separate suits before the Federal High Court (FHC), Abuja, seeking judicial determination on the unlawful defection of five sitting members of the National Assembly. “
“We are solicitors to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State, Alh. Mustapha Sikiru and HON. Sunday Bisi, hereinafter collectively referred to as ‘your petitioners’ and on whose firm and unequivocal instructions we make the following representations.
“The PDP is a duly registered and widely recognised political party in Nigeria, while your other petitioners are the Director of Administration and the Chairman of the party in Osun State, respectively.”
According to the lawyer, these legislators, having been duly elected on the platform of the PDP, brazenly abandoned the party in the very course of their subsisting tenure, in flagrant violation of Section 68(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
“Among the defendants in the said suits is Senator Francis Adenigba Fadahunsi, the suspect in this petition,” he said.
The lawyer alleged that rather than submit to the lawful jurisdiction of the court and allow the legal process to take its natural course, the senator resorted to acts of intimidation, harassment and threat to life in an attempt to pervert the course of justice.
Oyewole alleged that the lawmaker called the party official on telephone to threaten, harass and intimidate them.
“The senator’s statements were laced with insults, intimidation and a clear threat of grievous harm, simply because your petitioners carried out their lawful duty of filing and deposing to court processes in a constitutional suit involving his unlawful defection from the PDP,” he said.
He said the telephone conversation, allegedly conducted in Yoruba, was translated into English in the petition.
“Sir, Sections 86 of the Criminal Code Act makes it a criminal offence to threaten another with injury to person, reputation, or property, with intent to cause alarm or compel that person to refrain from doing any lawful act.
“Senator Fadahunsi’s conducts falls squarely within these provisions,” he said.
The lawyer said his clients had been apprehensive for their lives and safety, given the lawmaker’s political influence.
“This valuable intelligence is to put your office on high alert, that should any harm come to your petitioners, their families and legal representatives, the suspect should be held liable,” he said.
Oyewole, therefore, urged the police and DSS to launch an investigation into the matter to ascertain whether an offence had been committed for the purpose of prosecution and/or with the aim of calling the legislator to order to forestall any planned criminal action against his clients’ lives and property.
Reacting, Sen. Fadahunsi denied the allegation in a telephone chat.
“What is their problem? What is their fear? I didn’t join the party (PDP) through Sunday or Mustapha Sikiru. So I don’t think I have any dealing with them.
“I have already resigned from the party from my ward. So I am neither from Sunday’s ward nor from his constituency.
“My constituency is Ijesa North. So why should Sunday be apprehensive? Is it because I left PDP? Is it today people have been leaving PDP?
“So why are they crying foul where there is no problem? Why are they afraid? Go and tell them to go and relax sir and do their work,” he said.
When the reporter told the senator that the reason for the petition was hinged on his telephone call with Mustapha, which was considered to be a threat to life, the lawmaker said: “Which threat? Is it today Mustapha, this my small boy, has been calling me? Is it today I have been calling him?
“Is he a member of PDP? Is he not a worker in PDP’s office? So why must I go so low?
“The governor defected from PDP to APC and back to PDP, did heaven fall? That’s the question I am asking you?
“Political parties are free association. So there shouldn’t be any quarrel. But if they have not slept because I left too, that is their problem.”
He said he was focused to deliver dividend of democracy to his senatorial district and would not be distracted.
The lawmaker said he was done with PDP after he had worked to bring up the party in the state for six years.
“None of them was a single contributor to PDP when PDP was nothing.. Where were they?” Fadahunsi asked.
According to him, so I won’t join issues with them.
“If they want to go to court, I wish them good luck. All of them are all my boys,” he said.
The senator said he was ready to work for President Bola Tinubu ‘s re-election bid.
“I told them if you want to work for President Tinubu and if they don’t want to, nobody is quarrelling with them. So nobody is forcing them. It is a free world,” he concluded.
It would be recalled that five lawmakers from Osun recently defected from PDP to All Progressives Congress (APC).
They are Sen. Olubiyi Fadeyi representing Osun Central Senatorial District; Rep Omirin Olusanya who represents Atakumosa East/West and Ilesa East/West Federal Constituency and Rep Taofeek Ajilesoro representing Ife Central/East/North and South Federal Constituency.
Others include Rep Oluwole Oke who represents Obokun/Oriade Federal Constituency and Sen. Fadahunsi.
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