By Aliyu Oyewole
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State has alleged that Dele Ayegbo, nephew of the party’s governorship campaign Director-General, Wole Oke, was shot dead in Esa-Oke, Obokun Local Government Area of the state.
The alleged killing occurred on Wednesday night, August 12, 2026, barely two days before the Osun governorship election scheduled for Saturday.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the Osun APC spokesperson, Kola Olabisi, alleged that Ayegbo was attacked at a road junction close to his residence in the Idofin area of Esa-Oke by suspected political hoodlums riding in a car.
According to Olabisi, two APC members were shot during the incident. He said Ayegbo died instantly, while the second victim was taken to an undisclosed hospital in the town for treatment.
The APC spokesperson accused suspected supporters of the Accord Party of carrying out the attack, alleging that the incident was part of a wider pattern of political violence against members and supporters of the opposition party in the state.
However, the allegation against Accord Party supporters has not been independently established.
Olabisi described the incident as “one death too many” and called on the Osun State Police Command to investigate the circumstances surrounding Ayegbo’s death.
“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.
The APC further alleged that more than 30 of its members had been killed by political thugs in Osun State since 2022.
Olabisi claimed that Ijesaland accounted for the highest number of the alleged political killings, with 17 of the 30 fatalities reportedly coming from the area.
He also accused the state government of failing to adequately condemn previous killings involving APC members, an allegation the party said had heightened concerns over the safety of its supporters ahead of Saturday’s election.
The APC urged the police to take swift action, alleging that the attacks were intended to intimidate its members and supporters and discourage them from participating in the election.
The development adds to the growing political tension in Osun State ahead of the August 15 governorship poll, which has been marked by allegations and counter-allegations between the major political camps.
Earlier reports have documented political violence in Esa-Oke, including the June killing of Accord supporter Ajayi Aderogba, an incident that triggered accusations between the Accord Party and APC.
As of the time of filing this report, there was no official confirmation from the Osun State Police Command on Ayegbo’s reported death or the identity of those responsible. TheCable reported that attempts to reach the command’s spokesperson, Abiodun Ojelabi, for comments were unsuccessful.
The circumstances surrounding the latest incident remain subject to police investigation, while the allegation linking the attack to Accord Party supporters remains unverified.
