From Ayinde Akintade, Osogbo

Tension heightened across Osun State yesterday as Governor Ademola Adeleke and Senator Francis Fadahunsi traded accusations over an alleged incitement video, while Afrobeat star David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, appealed to United States President Donald Trump and the international community to monitor the August 15 governorship election.

The latest development came amid intensified political campaigns and growing concerns over security ahead of Saturday’s poll, with Adeleke declaring that he was not intimidated by what he described as the “federal might” backing the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate.

Speaking at the Arise Townhall Meeting on Tuesday, the governor, who is seeking re-election, described himself as a “bulldozer” and dismissed the influence of serving governors campaigning for his opponent.

“I am a bulldozer. I am not afraid of Federal might and governors backing the APC candidate. If they like, they should bring all the governors,” Adeleke said.

He added that the governors supporting the APC candidate were his friends but would not be able to vote in the election.

“They won’t vote; they can only come and dance, and after the election, we will meet,” he said.

The governor also rejected allegations that his administration had militarised the state, saying he lacked the constitutional authority to deploy the armed forces.

But the political confrontation took a sharper turn at an emergency press briefing in Osogbo, where Adeleke demanded the immediate investigation, arrest and prosecution of Fadahunsi over a viral video in which the senator was allegedly heard calling for the killing of Accord Party members and their families.

Adeleke said the matter had gone beyond partisan politics and constituted a national security concern. He also alleged that a police directive had been issued for the arrest of Accord Party leaders, with some allegedly being held without charges.

The governor said he had raised the matter with the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, and called for an end to what he described as “illegal operations” by security operatives against members of his party.

Adeleke further urged the police and the Department of State Services to investigate Fadahunsi’s alleged comments and ensure that security agencies remained neutral before, during and after the election.

Fadahunsi, however, rejected the interpretation placed on his remarks, saying his reference to “killing Accord” was political language and meant defeating the party through votes rather than violence.

In a statement issued by his media office and titled “Kill Osun Accord with Votes, Not Violence,” the senator said his comments were “purely political and metaphorical”.

He maintained that he had never advocated violence or physical attacks against Accord Party members and urged APC supporters and other political actors to maintain peace and allow voters to exercise their constitutional rights freely.

The controversy also drew the intervention of Davido, who is Adeleke’s nephew. In a message addressed to President Trump, the singer expressed concern over alleged threats of violence, intimidation and disruption of the electoral process.

Davido urged the US President and the international community to pay attention to the election and encourage Nigerian authorities to protect voters and ensure that their votes were respected.

“We do not want bloodshed. We do not want intimidation. We want peace, transparency, and a free and fair election,” he said.

The escalating political tension comes against the backdrop of wider security operations across the country, with the Nigerian Army reporting fresh successes against kidnappers, bandits and terrorists in Kogi, Plateau and Kebbi states.

In Kogi, troops rescued nine commuters abducted along the Ajaokuta–Itobe Road after engaging suspected kidnappers and forcing them to abandon their captives. The victims included two elderly men, two elderly women, four other adult males and an infant.

In Plateau, troops of Operation ENDURING PEACE foiled an alleged bandit ambush in Nwur Village, Langtang North Local Government Area, killing one attacker and recovering an AK-47 rifle, a magazine and two rounds of ammunition.

Troops in Kebbi also ambushed members of the Lakurawa terrorist group who were reportedly heading towards Dandi Local Government Area. Two motorcycles, mobile phones, communication radios and a Nigerien identity card were recovered following the operation.

The Army said the operations formed part of ongoing efforts to protect communities and disrupt the activities of criminal groups, while urging citizens to provide security agencies with timely information.

With the Osun governorship election only days away, political parties are intensifying mobilisation across the state, even as competing claims over security, alleged intimidation and the conduct of political actors continue to dominate the campaign.

The immediate challenge for the authorities, stakeholders and security agencies is to ensure that the heightened political contest does not translate into violence and that voters are allowed to determine the outcome of Saturday’s election freely and peacefully.

By David Torough, Abuja

The Adegoroye Royal Family of Itun Onise Quarters, Ise Town, in Lekki Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of Lagos State, has petitioned the Lagos State House of Assembly over the proposed installation of Mr Ibrahim Adebowale Saliu, also known as Sangodeyi, as the Oba Onise of Ise Kingdom.

The petition, dated August 10, 2026, was filed through the family’s solicitors, Law Pharm LP, and addressed to the Speaker of the House, Rt.

The petitioners alleged that administrative steps were being taken by relevant government authorities towards the approval and installation of Saliu despite pending court cases challenging aspects of the succession process.

They urged the House to exercise its oversight powers to investigate the process and prevail on relevant authorities to suspend further administrative action pending the determination of the cases before the High Court of Lagos State.

The petitioners said their request was not for the House to determine who should occupy the traditional stool, stressing that the competing claims and other substantive issues were matters for the courts.

“Our clients are not asking the Honourable House to determine the competing claims to the traditional stool,” the solicitors clarified, adding that the request was for the Assembly to ensure that government agencies did not “undermine, pre-empt, frustrate or render nugatory” the judicial process.

The petition identified two pending suits relating to the succession dispute, including Suit No. EPD/15252GCMW/2026, pending before Court 2 of the High Court of Lagos State, Epe Judicial Division, and Suit No. ID/107169CM/2026 before the High Court in the Ikeja Judicial Division.

According to the petition, the Epe case was scheduled for mention on June 29 but was adjourned to October 29, 2026, after the court did not sit.

The royal family alleged that the Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Chieftaincy Committee had acted in relation to the Onise stool despite Ise being under the administrative jurisdiction of Lekki LCDA.

The petition further alleged that Ibeju-Lekki Local Government had, in a letter dated April 16, 2026, acknowledged that it had no administrative or jurisdictional authority over Ise Kingdom and that Lekki LCDA was responsible for the community.

It therefore asked the Assembly to investigate the alleged contradiction between the earlier position and the subsequent purported approval of the installation of Saliu.

The petitioners also raised concerns over the legitimacy of the selection process, alleging that some recognised and gazetted Part II Chiefs had dissociated themselves from the process.

They specifically alleged that Chief Balogun Olamide Arashi, identified as the Aro of Ise Land and a recognised Part II kingmaker, had dissociated himself from the process.

The petition also questioned the alleged participation of Chief Aliru Tiamiyu Ogunkoya, formerly the Ojon of Ise, whose appointment, according to the petitioners, was terminated in October 2023.

On the customary basis of the stool, the Adegoroye Royal Family claimed that the Onise throne was historically traceable to their lineage and disputed the validity and applicability of a 1999 Chieftaincy Declaration governing the selection process.

The petitioners maintained that the historical and customary questions surrounding the stool were among the issues already before the courts and should not be conclusively determined through administrative action.

They also cited previous Supreme Court decisions, including Military Governor of Lagos State & Ors. v. Ojukwu & Anor., arguing that government authorities should not take steps capable of pre-empting judicial determination once a matter is before a competent court.

“Our clients approach the Honourable House not merely as contestants for a traditional stool but as citizens seeking the protection of the rule of law,” the petition stated.

The royal family asked the Assembly to summon relevant officials, including the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, the Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs and Rural Development, officials of the two local government areas and members of the Ibeju-Lekki Chieftaincy Committee.

It also requested that the House obtain and scrutinise nomination documents, minutes of kingmakers’ meetings, attendance records, relevant government correspondence, the disputed Chieftaincy Declaration, legal advice and documents relating to the proposed installation.

The petitioners further urged the Assembly to investigate the alleged jurisdictional role played by the Ibeju-Lekki Chieftaincy Committee and the status of those who participated as kingmakers.

They warned that proceeding with the installation while the legal dispute remained pending could create tension in Ise Kingdom and potentially make any subsequent court judgment difficult to implement.

“The time to prevent a crisis is before the installation, not after it,” the petitioners stated, urging the Assembly to act before the proposed installation becomes an irreversible action.

They appealed to the House to refer the matter to the appropriate committee for urgent investigation and take measures necessary to protect the judicial process and prevent a possible breach of peace in the community.

From Joseph Amedu, Lokoja

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) Nigeria, has opened applications for journalists to join a two-month project aimed at deepening ethical, solutions-focused coverage of HIV and TB in communities most affected by both diseases.

The “HIV and TB Media Reporting Project: Amplify the Response” will run from September to October 2026 and will support reporters in Abuja FCT, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Benue, Cross River, Kogi, and Nasarawa to produce human-centered stories that drive testing, treatment uptake, and public accountability.

Applications close at the close of business on Monday, 31st August 2026.

AHF Nigeria currently provides free HIV testing, treatment, care, and TB services across its seven states of operation.

While Nigeria has made progress toward the UNAIDS 95-95-95 targets, AHF notes that challenges persist around TB reduction, stigma, misinformation, and funding gaps.

“Media is key to closing these gaps,” the organization stated in its call.

The project is designed to equip reporters with the science, context, and access needed to tell accurate, stigma-free stories that center the voices of people living with HIV and TB survival.

At least seven journalists will be selected for the pilot edition.

Each participant is expected to develop and publish two in-depth feature or investigative stories within the two-month period, with a human-angle focus.

Stigma reduction: using person-first, rights-based language and ethical representation

Accountability: examining access to treatment, budget performance, and community-led monitoring in AHF-supported facilities

Key themes: U=U science, TB-HIV co-infection, domestic financing, local ARV manufacturing, and implementation of Nigeria’s Anti-Discrimination Act 2014

To support this, journalists must submit three story pitches and attend a full-day virtual orientation.

AHF is calling on journalists from print, online, broadcast, photographic storytelling, and community media who live and report in the seven project states.

To qualify, applicants must have a minimum of two years professional experience with verifiable published or broadcast work.

They must also be attached to a media organization, or for freelancers, provide a letter of intent to publish from an editor or publisher.

Priority will be given to women journalists, journalists with disabilities, and reporters from community and local language media.

Demonstrated interest in health, human rights, or development reporting is an added advantage.

Selected journalists will receive a package designed to remove common reporting barriers:

Capacity Training: Virtual orientation facilitated by NACA, NASCP, NTBLCP, AHF’s technical team, and senior editors, covering HIV/TB reporting, data journalism, ethics, and safety. Data support will be provided.

Reporting Grant: Modest funds to cover logistics for field work on two stories

Editorial Mentorship: One-on-one support from a senior health journalist or editor to refine angles and drafts

Key Access: Facilitated entry to AHF-supported facilities, State AIDS and TB Control Programs, PLHIV networks, and TB survivor groups for interviews

Recognition: Certificate of participation from AHF Nigeria, and featuring of top stories on AHF global platforms

Applicants must submit a single PDF containing: a 2-page CV, a 250-word motivation letter, two 200-word story pitches with proposed sources and angle, links or PDFs of two work samples with at least one on health or development, and a letter of support from an editor.

The call opened on 10th August 2026.

Shortlisted journalists will be notified on 14th September 2026. Selection will be based on strength of story pitch 35%, relevance of work samples 15%, journalism experience 15%, gender diversity 15%, and editor support 10%.

For questions, contact Steve Aborisade, Senior Advocacy and Marketing Manager, AHF Nigeria, at 2 Paul Unongo Street, off Ebitu Ukiwe Street, Jabi, Abuja.

AHF, the world’s largest HIV/AIDS healthcare organization, provides care to more than 2.9 million people across 50 countries. In January 2025, it received The King Center’s MLK Jr. Social Justice Award.