Palpable fear and tension pervading the Osun political landscape took a new twist on Thursday as the Governorship Campaign Council of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun accused Governor Ademola Adeleke’s Accord of allegedly killing the nephew of Honourable Wole Oke, identified as Dele Aiyegbo, in Esa Oke.

Oke, a lawmaker representing Obokun/ Oriade Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, is the Director-General of the Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji (AMBO), the APC gubernatorial candidate.

Aiyegbo was said to have been allegedly shot by some members of the Accord in Esa Oke, a community of Obokun Local Government Area of the state, on Wednesday night, alongside another person, who survived the attack with severe injuries.

APC contended that the latest incident justified their calls for the Police to rein in some criminal elements allegedly linked to some elements within the government circle.

However, Adeleke, who condemned the attack, challenged the security agencies to unmask the perpetrators of the killing and bring them to justice, while distancing his government from the dastardly act.

Addressing a press conference in Osogbo, the director of media and publicity of the APC Governorship Campaign Council, Remi Omowaiye, said information indicated 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.

According to him, “two of our members were shot by the political thugs during the incident, and that while Ayegbo died instantly, the other victim was rushed to an undisclosed hospital in the town where he has been receiving treatment.

Omowaiye, who was flanked by the Osun APC director of media and information, Kola Olabisi, and a stalwart of the party, Kehinde Ayantunji, noted that “the spate of violence over the re-election bid of Governor Adeleke is becoming unprecedented in the political history of the state.”

He alleged that four other members of the APC were also attacked in another community, around Atakumosa Local Government Area.

Omowaiye also accused the Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Honourable Adewale Egbedun, of allegedly attacking the convoy of the APC Federal House of Representatives candidate, Francis Eniade, in Okuku, headquarters of Odo-Otin Local Government Area of the state, injuring one of the persons in his convoy.

Adeleke, in a statement by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, denied the involvement of his government in the killing, just as he directed security agencies to intensify surveillance and security operations in Esa Oke and its environs.

He also ordered the police to conduct a thorough investigation and ensure that the perpetrators are apprehended and brought to justice.

Adeleke described the incident as an unfortunate consequence of reckless political incitement, urging political leaders and their supporters across Ijeshaland and Osun State to refrain from actions and utterances capable of triggering violence.

“We all have families and friends. We should not preach violence. Senator Fadahunsi issued a killing directive; the next day, somebody was killed at Esa Oke, his own zone.”