Osun Accord Member Killed, APC Campaigner Dies in Truck Crash

Political tension in Osun State deepened on Wednesday after an Accord Party supporter was shot dead in Esa Oke, while an APC campaign procession in Ede turned tragic when a truck rammed into party members, killing one person and injuring seven others.

 

The incidents come less than two months before the August 15 governorship election, in which Governor Ademola Adeleke of Accord is seeking re-election against candidates of the All Progressives Congress, African Democratic Congress, Allied People’s Movement and other parties.

 

In Obokun Local Government Area, Ajayi Aderogba, popularly known as Rogba, was reportedly shot dead on Tuesday evening by yet-to-be-identified gunmen during preparations for a political rally in support of Governor Adeleke’s second-term bid.

 

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

 

The incident triggered protests in Esa Oke, with residents expressing concern over rising political tension in the community.

 

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

 

“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,” Olajengbesi said in a Facebook post.

 

“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. He was gruesomely murdered because of his beliefs and political affiliation with Accord.”

 

However, Oke denied the allegation, describing attempts to link him and the APC to the killing as false and misleading.

 

In a statement issued by his Senior Media Aide, Tunde Omolebi-Sunday, the lawmaker called for a thorough investigation and criticised what he described as premature accusations.

 

“Such conclusions, made without any credible investigation or report from security agencies, are not only premature but deeply irresponsible,” the statement said.

 

“We 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.”

 

Meanwhile, tragedy also struck in Ede when a truck rammed into an APC street campaign procession organised in support of the party’s governorship candidate, Bola Oyebamiji.

 

The accident occurred near the Oke Gada area of the town, killing AbdulRasaq Ahmed and injuring seven others.

 

The Chairman of the Media and Publicity Committee of the Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji Campaign Committee, Remi Omowaiye, confirmed the incident.

 

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

 

An eyewitness alleged that the truck driver ignored traffic directives issued by officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps managing traffic around the campaign route.

 

“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 witness said.

 

Following a condolence visit to the deceased’s family, 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,” Adereti said.

 

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