The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State has alleged that Dele Ayegbo, nephew of its governorship campaign Director-General, Wole Oke, was shot dead in Esa-Oke, Obokun Local Government Area of the state.
The party said Ayegbo was killed on Wednesday night near his residence in the Idofin area of the town, while another APC member was also wounded in the attack.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the Osun APC spokesperson, Kola Olabisi, alleged that the attack was carried out by suspected political hoodlums travelling in a vehicle.
Olabisi claimed the assailants attacked Ayegbo at a road junction close to his home, where he was allegedly shot and killed.
“Information has it that Ayegbo was gunned down at the road junction close to his house at the Idofin quarters area of the ancient town by the Accord Party hoodlums who were riding in a car,” the statement said.
According to the APC, Ayegbo died at the scene, while the second victim, who sustained gunshot injuries, was taken to an undisclosed hospital for treatment.
The party condemned the killing and called on the police to immediately investigate the incident and identify those responsible.
“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,” Olabisi said.
The APC spokesperson further alleged that more than 30 of the party’s members had been killed in politically related violence across Osun State since 2022, claiming that 17 of the reported deaths occurred in Ijesaland.
Olabisi also accused the state government of failing to adequately condemn attacks allegedly targeting APC members and supporters.
He claimed that the alleged failure to condemn such incidents had created the impression that the attacks were being tolerated by the government.
“A common observation has been that whenever our members were killed, the self-acclaimed chief security officer of the state would not condemn the killing which gives credence to his approval of the rampant extra-judicial killings of our members and supporters in the state,” he alleged.
The APC equally alleged that the latest attack was part of efforts to create fear among its supporters and discourage them from participating in Saturday’s election.
“The purpose is to scare away our members and supporters from exercising their civic responsibility on Saturday,” Olabisi said.
The allegation comes amid heightened political tension in Osun State as the APC and the Accord Party, under which the incumbent governor is seeking another term, intensify their campaigns ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
The claim of Ayegbo’s killing by suspected Accord Party supporters was not independently established in the statement, and no response from the Accord Party was contained in the APC’s allegation.
