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. (Text, excluding headline: The PUNCH)

•Osun State Gov. Ademola Adeleke and his major challenger for the August 15 governorship election, Bola Oyebamiji

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