Osun election tension: APC alleges killing of campaign DG’s nephew in Esa-Oke

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State has alleged that Dele Ayegbo, nephew of the party’s governorship campaign Director-General, Wole Oke, was shot dead in Esa-Oke, Obokun Local Government Area, as political tension intensifies ahead of Saturday’s governorship election.

The APC allegation was contained in a statement issued on Thursday by the party’s spokesperson, Kola Olabisi, who said Ayegbo was killed on Wednesday night near his residence in the Idofin area of Esa-Oke.

According to Olabisi, Ayegbo was allegedly attacked at a road junction close to his home by suspected gunmen travelling in a vehicle.

The APC spokesperson described the incident as an attack allegedly carried out by suspected supporters of the Accord Party, which is the platform on which Governor Ademola Adeleke is seeking re-election.

“The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has condemned the killing of the party’s governorship campaign Director-General, Wole Oke’s nephew, Dele Ayegbo, in Esa-Oke,” the statement said.

The allegation has not been independently verified, and the identity or political affiliation of the suspected attackers remains unconfirmed.

Olabisi further alleged that two APC members were shot during the incident. He said Ayegbo died at the scene, while the second victim was taken to an undisclosed hospital for treatment.

He called on the police to urgently investigate the killing, describing it as “one death too many”.

“The killing of the nephew of our campaign Director-General in Esa-Oke is one death too many which must be urgently unravelled by the police in the interest of fairness and justice,” he said.

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The APC spokesperson also alleged that more than 30 members of the party had been killed by political thugs in Osun State since 2022.

He claimed that Ijesaland accounted for the highest proportion of the alleged killings, alleging that 17 of the 30 victims were from the area.

Olabisi further accused the state government of failing to adequately condemn previous attacks on APC members, an allegation that would require independent verification.

He urged the police to intensify investigations and security operations ahead of the August 15 governorship election, alleging that the violence was intended to intimidate opposition supporters and discourage them from voting.

“The purpose is to scare away our members and supporters from exercising their civic responsibility on Saturday,” he alleged.

As of the time of filing the report, the Osun State Police Command had not publicly confirmed the alleged killing or provided details about the circumstances surrounding the shooting.

Efforts to obtain a response from the command were reportedly unsuccessful, while its spokesperson, Abiodun Ojelabi, had yet to respond to requests for comment.

The alleged killing comes amid heightened political tension in Osun State ahead of the governorship election, with Governor Ademola Adeleke, seeking a second term on the Accord platform, facing the APC and other contenders.

The rival camps have in recent weeks exchanged accusations and counter-accusations over political violence, security and the conduct of the election.

With voting scheduled for Saturday, the latest allegation has heightened concerns about the security of candidates, party supporters and voters, while placing additional pressure on security agencies to establish the facts surrounding the incident and prevent further violence.