APC and Adeleke’s Team Argue Over Killing of Osun Teen

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State and the Imole Campaign Council, which supports Governor Ademola Adeleke's re-election, clashed on Tuesday over the killing of a teenager, Ezekiel Olapade, in Ilobu.

Reports say the teenager was shot dead on Sunday outside the Irepodun Local Government Secretariat in Ilobu. Another person was injured during the shooting, but their identity is not known.

Ezekiel's father, Gbenga Olapade, claimed that a man named Saheed Tanfeani led a group of armed men to the scene, shooting wildly towards a palm wine bar after spotting someone in a yellow cap. Gbenga said police officers stationed at the secretariat watched as the attackers arrived in a vehicle with AMBO colors.

He added that his 14-year-old son was shot in the head while trying to save his mother, who had collapsed while escaping the gunfire.

The APC and the Imole Campaign Council provided different views on the incident and the reactions that followed Adeleke's visit to the grieving family.

In a statement from its spokesperson, Kola Olabisi, the APC accused Adeleke of trying to make political capital from the tragic death of the teenager. The party claimed the governor turned his visit into a campaign event, hinting at victory in the upcoming governorship election.

The APC also criticized how Adeleke handled the situation, saying there were inconsistencies in his statements about police involvement and the investigation. Olabisi stated, "Such an occasion for strictly mourning the young lad was inappropriate for Governor Adeleke to have turned it to a campaign ground as it could be likened to the state chief executive doing the wrong thing at the wrong time and wrong place."

He continued, "It didn’t add up and unexpected of a worthy chief executive to have bypassed the police in their investigation when he named the opposition party as being responsible for the killing. What else does the accidental governor want the police to investigate?"

Olabisi pointed out that it was confusing when Adeleke told the bereaved family that he had instructed the police to investigate the crime. He noted that the same police that Adeleke's deregistered Accord Party had denied a meeting with were supposed to investigate the case.

In response, Pelumi Olajengbesi, spokesperson for the Imole Campaign Council, rejected the APC's claims. He accused the opposition party of using the tragedy for political gain.

Olajengbesi said the killing and the rising political tensions in the state highlight the need for everyone to act responsibly. He called on security agencies, including the Inspector-General of Police, to protect all citizens fairly, regardless of their political beliefs. He warned against selective enforcement.

He stressed that democracy should be based on persuasion and ideas, not violence or intimidation. He said the people of Osun would choose their leaders through the ballot.

He stated, "The recent escalation of political violence in Osun is a threat to us all. The loss of innocent lives has no place in a civil society. Democracy cannot thrive where citizens live in fear."

Olajengbesi added, "The Osun APC must come to terms with a simple political reality. Elections are won through the confidence of the people and not through violence. The people of Osun State have become politically conscious, and no amount of political desperation can substitute for public trust."

He concluded, "If the Osun APC believes it has earned the confidence of the electorate, it should present its programmes, defend its past record, and submit itself to the judgment of the people. Democracy demands persuasion, not coercion. Political parties should compete with ideas, policies, and performance, not with conduct that threatens public peace and safety."