APC, Accord Party trade blame over mayhem in Osun

The campaign council of the Osun State All Progressives Congress has called on security agencies to investigate the violent disturbances witnessed across Osogbo and attacks on its members in some parts of the state.

Addressing journalists in Osogbo on Wednesday, the Director-General of the APC Campaign Council, Mr Oluwole Oke, accused Governor Ademola Adeleke of being complicit in attacks on opposition party members in Ile-Ife and Owode-Ede.

He also alleged that the governor was harbouring hoodlums behind various security breaches experienced in the state lately.

In a swift reaction, the Imole Campaign Council, the group leading Governor Adeleke’s re-election campaign, accused the APC of killing many of the governor’s supporters and demanded immediate action from security agencies to stem the tide.

The chairman of the council’s Media Committee, Bamidele Salam, in a statement obtained in Osogbo, also said the shooting that occurred in some communities in the state was captured on video in one location and constituted evidence against the opposition party.

But Oke, who called on security agencies to be thorough in their investigations, said anyone found culpable, irrespective of political affiliation or connections, should be arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the law.

Specifically, Oke alleged that a governor’s appointee, Olalekan Emir, who is standing trial for murder, jumped bail.

“Strangely, this same Emir Ajagungbade is being housed in the Osun State Government House. Why is Governor Adeleke housing a criminal suspect in the Government House?

“The case is similar to that of the brutal killing of a chieftain of our party, Hon. Remi Abass, who, until his death in February 2025, was the chairman of Irewole Local Government.

“As we speak, an appointee of Governor Adeleke, who was arraigned for the murder of Hon. Abass, Mr Jide Joda, has jumped bail and has been declared wanted by the police. Jide Joda is an appointee of the governor and also a close associate of Senator Lere Oyewumi. Sadly, both Governor Adeleke and Senator Lere Oyewumi have not done anything to produce this murder suspect.”

He subsequently called on Adeleke to rein in his political foot soldiers before they plunge the state into deeper insecurity and make it increasingly ungovernable.

“Only yesterday, Tuesday, June 9, 2026, campaign buses belonging to the APC were attacked and vandalised by suspected PDP/Accord hoodlums in the Owode-Ede area. The attack left several AMBO supporters injured, while campaign materials and other valuable property were destroyed.

“Such brazen acts of violence have no place in a democratic society and should alarm every well-meaning citizen of Osun State. It is important to note that Owode-Ede has, in recent years, gained notoriety as a flashpoint for politically motivated attacks against members of our party.

“The public would recall that in 2022, the wife of the former Governor of Osun State, Mrs Kafayat Oyetola, was attacked in the same area while serving as the First Lady of the state. The recurrence of violent incidents in the community raises serious concerns about the activities of criminal elements who appear emboldened by the absence of firm action from those in authority,” Oke said.

He appealed to the Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, the Director-General of the Department of State Services, Oluwatosin Ajayi, the Commandant-General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Abubakar Audi, and other relevant security agencies to urgently stem the rising tide of political violence in the state.

Reacting further, Salam alleged that nearly all victims of recent politically motivated violence in the state have been members and supporters of the Accord Party and its allies.

“A few weeks ago, Mr Kolade Eluyera, an Accord member in Irewole Local Government, was brutally murdered in cold blood. On June 3, 2026, the chairman of the Accord Party in Osogbo Local Government, Hon. Asimiyu Ajibola, was shot multiple times by APC armed assailants and has remained hospitalised while battling for his life.

“Similarly, during the violent invasion of local government councils in 2025 by APC-sponsored thugs, Mr Ismaila Ibrahim and Hon. Kasali Adebayo lost their lives in Ilesa. In Boripe Local Government, Oladimeji Taiwo and Oloyede Damilare were murdered during another APC-led violent attack on public institutions.

“These are not mere allegations. They are tragic realities that have left families devastated and communities traumatised.

“The names of several APC thugs repeatedly linked to acts of violence across the state are already in the public domain. Yet, rather than assisting law enforcement agencies in bringing perpetrators to justice, APC leaders have continued to shield and celebrate individuals whose actions have endangered public peace.”

He called on the National Security Adviser, the Inspector-General of Police, the Department of State Services, the National Human Rights Commission, civil society organisations, election observers and the international community to beam their searchlight on Osun State.

He also warned against selective law enforcement and the perception of institutional bias, saying the desperate propaganda allegedly being churned out by the APC should be disregarded.