The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State has alleged the killing of Dele Ayegbo, nephew of its governorship campaign Director-General, Wole Oke, in Esa-Oke, Obokun Local Government Area of the state.

Ayegbo was reportedly shot dead on Wednesday night, two days before the state’s governorship election scheduled for Saturday, August 15. Kola Olabisi, spokesperson for the Osun APC, said Ayegbo was allegedly attacked at a junction close to his residence in the Idofin area of Esa-Oke by suspected political thugs.

“The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has condemned the killing of the party’s governorship campaign Director-General, Wole Oke’s nephew, Dele Ayegbo, in Esa-Oke, Obokun Local Government Council Area of the state on Wednesday night by the hit squad of the Accord Party who have been terrorising the members and supporters of the opposition APC across the state,” the statement reads.

“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 APC said another party member was also shot during the incident and taken to an undisclosed hospital for treatment, while Ayegbo allegedly died at the scene.

The party described the incident as another disturbing development amid growing political tension in the state and called on the police to investigate the killing.

“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,” he said.
Olabisi also alleged that more than 30 APC members had been killed by political thugs across Osun State since 2022, claiming that Ijesaland accounted for 17 of the deaths.

“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,” Olabisi further claimed.

He urged the police command to intensify efforts to prevent further violence ahead of the election.

“The purpose is to scare away our members and supporters from exercising their civic responsibility on Saturday,” he said.
The APC’s allegations had not been independently confirmed as of the time of filing the report.

Efforts to obtain confirmation from the Osun State Police Command were unsuccessful, as Abiodun Ojelabi, spokesperson for the command, had yet to respond to TheCable’s request for comment.

The alleged killing comes amid heightened political tension in Osun ahead of Saturday’s governorship election, with supporters of the governor, who is seeking a second term on the Accord platform, and the APC trading accusations and verbal attacks in the final days of the campaign.

The development has further raised concerns about the security situation in the state as voters prepare to participate in the election.