Political tension escalated in Osun State on Wednesday after an Accord Party supporter was shot dead in Esa Oke while an APC campaign procession in Ede turned tragic as a truck rammed into party members, killing one person and injuring seven others, less than two months before the August 15 governorship election.

The twin incidents have heightened concerns over security in the state as campaigns intensify ahead of the poll, which will see incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke of Accord seek re-election against the All Progressives Congress candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, African Democratic Congress candidate Najeem Salam, Allied People’s Movement candidate Adewale Adebayo and others.

In Obokun Local Government Area, a resident of Esa Oke, Ajayi Aderogba, was reportedly shot dead on Tuesday evening by yet-to-be-identified gunmen, triggering protests in the community as residents lamented the rising political tension.

The circumstances surrounding the killing remained unclear as of the time of filing this report, while the Osun State Police Command had yet to issue an official statement.

The command’s spokesperson, Abiodun Ojelabi, could not be reached on his mobile phone and was said to be attending a meeting at the command headquarters in Osogbo.

Residents who spoke on condition of anonymity said Aderogba was killed while preparations were underway for a campaign rally in support of Governor Adeleke’s second-term bid.

The killing immediately sparked a war of words between the APC and Accord.

The spokesperson for The Imole Campaign Council, Pelumi Olajengbesi, accused a member of the House of Representatives and Director-General of the Osun State Governorship Campaign Council, Oluwole Oke, of sponsoring the attack.

In a statement posted on Facebook, Olajengbesi said, “Just yesterday, while we were preparing for a political programme in Esa Oke, Wole Oke made several efforts to frustrate the programme and prevent it from holding.

“Rogba, a young, happy and promising man from Esa Oke, and one of the foremost supporters of Governor Ademola Adeleke, was actively involved in the preparations, insisting that nobody would stop the programme.

“Rogba was gruesomely murdered because of his beliefs and political affiliation with Accord. This situation has shaken me beyond words.”

However, Oke, in a statement signed by his Senior Media Aide, Tunde Omolebi-Sunday, denied any connection to the killing and described attempts to link him and the APC to the incident as “misleading.”

He called for a thorough investigation, arguing that preliminary accounts suggested the incident might have been linked to clashes between rival groups and possible reprisal attacks.

The APC campaign director-general also faulted Olajengbesi for making what he described as “hasty, unverified and inflammatory allegations.”

“Such conclusions, made without any credible investigation or report from security agencies, are not only premature but deeply irresponsible. As a legal practitioner, he ought to understand the primacy of evidence, due process and responsible public communication,” the statement said.

It further noted that there had been previous public concerns and allegations regarding the deceased’s activities and associations within the community, including reported links to cult-related conflicts and earlier security investigations.

“We, therefore, firmly state that Hon Oluwole Oke and the APC have no connection whatsoever to the death of Ajayi Rogba. Any attempt to link them to this tragic occurrence without substantiated evidence is false, misleading and must be rejected,” the statement added.

While the controversy over Aderogba’s death was still unfolding, tragedy struck in Ede, where AbdulRasaq Ahmed was killed after a truck rammed into an APC street campaign procession organised to mobilise support for Oyebamiji.

The accident occurred as campaigners approached the Oke Gada area of the town.

The Chairman of the Media and Publicity Committee of the Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji Campaign Committee, Remi Omowaiye, confirmed the incident, saying seven others sustained injuries and were receiving treatment at private hospitals in Ofatedo and Ede.

“One person was killed in the accident. Seven others were injured, but one of them is in critical condition,” Omowaiye said.

An eyewitness, who declined to be named, alleged that the truck driver ignored traffic directives issued by officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps deployed to manage traffic during the campaign.

“It was a sad incident and one that could have been avoided. The FRSC officials had directed vehicles to use one lane while APC members occupied the other.

“However, the truck driver drove into the lane we were using and rammed into the crowd. The young man was killed in the process, while several others sustained injuries and are receiving treatment at the hospital,” the eyewitness said.

Also speaking after a condolence visit to the family of the deceased, the APC deputy governorship candidate, Benjamin Adereti, called for a thorough investigation into the incident.

“We are still trying to unravel the reason behind this. The way the incident happened suggests that the truck deliberately rammed into our party members while they were campaigning in Ede.

“I want to call on security agencies in Osun and across Nigeria to conduct a thorough investigation into the immediate and remote causes of this incident.

“If this was a deliberate attempt by Ademola Adeleke and the Accord to stop us from forging ahead with our campaign, I can assure them we are unstoppable,” Adereti said.

He commiserated with the family of the deceased, saying, “May God console the family. We all know the pain of losing a child.”

The two incidents have further heightened political tension in Osun as parties intensify campaigns ahead of the August 15 governorship election.

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The Ogun State chapter of the African Democratic Congress has dismissed allegations of financial impropriety levelled against its State Chairman, Olufemi Soluade, describing the claims as misleading, unfounded and baseless.

The Director-General of the Directorate of Media, Communications and Publicity of the party, Adesina Olanrewaju, disclosed this on Wednesday during a briefing held at the party secretariat in Itoko, Abeokuta, the state capital.

A petition was reportedly submitted by a group to the national leadership of the party, accusing Soluade of financial mismanagement involving funds paid for nomination forms ahead of the 2027 elections.

Olanrewaju said the party had conducted a review of the allegations contained in the petition and found no evidence to support claims that the state chairman diverted funds meant for the purchase of nomination forms by aspirants.

He said records available to the party showed that the payments were made directly into an account designated by the ADC National Secretariat.

Olanrewaju said, “The claim that funds sent by aspirants were diverted or personally received by the State Chairman is false and misleading.

“For clarity, the monies referred to by the petitioners were funds meant strictly for the purchase of nomination forms by aspirants of the party. Major leaders of the party were aware of this arrangement, and there is clear evidence, including payment records and receipts, showing that the funds were paid into the officially designated ADC National Secretariat account.”

The party also faulted what it described as contradictions in the position of the petitioners, noting that they had repeatedly acknowledged Soluade as the duly recognised state chairman while simultaneously attempting to challenge his leadership.

The DG stated that, “It is therefore both curious and contradictory that the same individuals now seek to promote a parallel structure and alternative leadership arrangement outside the constitutionally recognised organs of the party.

“One cannot simultaneously recognise a chairman and attempt to undermine his office through unauthorised structures.”

Addressing issues surrounding the distribution of nomination forms, the party said a self-acclaimed Deputy National Financial Secretary, Mr Oladimeji Fabiyi, obtained an initial batch of forms from the party’s National Secretariat but failed to release most of them to the state leadership for distribution.

Olanrewaju explained that only about 10 of approximately 50 forms obtained were released, despite interventions from the office of the National Organising Secretary.

The party said the development created concerns among aspirants as the deadline for obtaining nomination forms approached, prompting some of them to request that payments be routed through the state chairman, who was already at the National Secretariat facilitating the process.

Olanrewaju explained that, “The suggestion by some aspirants to transfer the funds through the State Chairman was not because of any personal arrangement or financial control, but because at that period, between May 10 and May 17, Otunba Olufemi Soluade was physically present at the ADC National Secretariat in Abuja to facilitate and obtain another set of nomination forms for aspirants from Ogun State.

“Available information shows that Mr Oladimeji Fabiyi, who identifies himself as Deputy National Financial Secretary, was at the National Secretariat and obtained the first set of nomination forms through the office of the National Organising Secretary.

“Rather than releasing the forms to the State Chairman upon his return from the National Secretariat for proper coordination and distribution to aspirants, the forms were kept by Mr Fabiyi despite several interventions from the office of the National Organising Secretary. These claims are verifiable in the office of the National Organising Secretary.

“Out of about 50 nomination forms obtained, only about 10 were released. This situation created serious concern, especially as the deadline for obtaining nomination forms was approaching.

“It was within this context that some aspirants, particularly House of Assembly aspirants, suggested that their nomination form payments be routed through the State Chairman, who was already handling the process of obtaining the forms at the National Secretariat.”

Olanrewaju further revealed that the activities of a parallel group within the party disrupted preparations for the presidential primary in Ogun State.

He said, “It is also saddening to reveal that there was no presidential primary election in Ogun State. This was because of the parallel group these fellows instituted, who went to presidential aspirants to defraud them.”

The party maintained that it possesses documentary evidence, including payment records, receipts, dates and names of aspirants, which it said disproves the allegations contained in the petition.

Olanrewaju added that internal verification conducted by the party showed that some individuals listed as petitioners were not recognised members of the ADC in Ogun State.

“Reports from the party’s membership verification process indicate that the names of some of those behind the petition do not appear in the official membership database of the party. This raises serious questions about the authenticity and motive behind the petition,” he said.

The party disclosed that an official report on the matter had been forwarded to the offices of the National Chairman and the National Organising Secretary of the ADC for necessary action.

Reaffirming support for Soluade’s leadership, Olanrewaju said the state executive remained committed to transparency, accountability and party unity.

He added that, “We therefore urge members of the public, ADC members and stakeholders in Ogun State to disregard misleading information capable of causing unnecessary division within the party.

“The leadership of Otunba Olufemi Soluade and the State Working Committee remains committed to fairness, justice, accountability and the progress of the African Democratic Congress.”

The party also called on journalists to verify information concerning the ADC through its accredited communications directorate before publication.

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A member of the House of Representatives and Director-General of the Osun State Governorship Campaign Council, Oluwole Oke, has denied allegations linking him and the All Progressives Congress to the death of an Accord Party member, Ajayi Aderogba, popularly known as Rogba.

Aderogba was shot dead on Tuesday in Esa Oke, Obokun Local Government Area of Osun State, during preparations for a political rally in support of Governor Ademola Adeleke’s second-term bid.

The spokesperson for the Adeleke Campaign Organisation, Pelumi Olajengbesi, had in a statement posted on his Facebook page on Tuesday, accused the federal lawmaker of being behind the attack that led to Aderogba’s death.

Olajengbesi alleged that Oke had attempted to frustrate the planned political event in the community.

“Just yesterday, while we were preparing for a political programme in Esa Oke, Wole Oke made several efforts to frustrate the programme and prevent it from holding,” he alleged.

He described the deceased as a committed supporter of Governor Adeleke and the Accord Party.

However, Oke, through a statement on Wednesday issued by his media aide, Tunde Omolebi-Sunday, dismissed the allegations and described attempts to link him and the APC to the incident as false and misleading.

The lawmaker expressed shock and sadness over Aderogba’s death and extended condolences to the deceased’s family, friends and residents of Esa Oke.

He also criticised Olajengbesi for making what he described as unverified allegations before the conclusion of investigations.

“Such conclusions, made without any credible investigation or report from security agencies, are not only premature but deeply irresponsible. As a legal practitioner, he ought to understand the primacy of evidence, due process, and responsible public communication,” the statement said.

Oke maintained that neither he nor the APC had any connection with the incident and called for an impartial investigation by security agencies.

“We therefore firmly state that Hon. Oluwole Oke and the APC have no connection whatsoever to the death of Ajayi Rogba. Any attempt to link them to this tragic occurrence without substantiated evidence is false, misleading, and must be rejected,” the statement added.

The lawmaker urged the police and other relevant authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the killing.

According to the statement, preliminary accounts from the community suggested that the incident may have stemmed from clashes involving rival groups, with indications of possible reprisal attacks, although it stressed that only a proper investigation could determine the facts.

Oke also called on political actors and residents to allow security agencies to carry out their duties professionally and avoid making statements capable of escalating tensions.

The statement further urged all stakeholders to respect due process and refrain from politicising a matter involving loss of life.

“It added that matters of life and death should not be trivialised or reduced to political tools,” the statement said, while calling on residents to recommit themselves to peace, truth and lawful engagement.

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