THE Osun state All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship Election Campaign Council, has cautioned the Accord Party against politicising the killing of Eluyera Kolade in Ikire, urging that security agencies be allowed to conduct a full investigation into the incident.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the APC campaign council, speaking on behalf of its candidate, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, described attempts to link the party to the killing as “frivolous, fabricated and a ploy to call a dog a bad name in order to hang it.”
The council accused the Accord Party and the re-election campaign team of Governor Ademola Adeleke of spreading misinformation, stating that such actions were “shaking the peace of the state to its foundation” and threatening security.
It said, “It is uncharitable, wicked and inhuman… to embark on threatening the security of the state out of desperation to sell their candidate,” while insisting that violence and brigandage had never been associated with the APC.
The campaign organisation expressed sympathy with the family of the deceased and called on the police to carry out a thorough investigation, noting that “whoever might have a hand in the needless gruesome killing” should be brought to justice.
The statement also urged the Accord Party to cooperate with law enforcement authorities, saying the party “should be useful to the police during the course of their investigation” into the incident at Onireke Campus Road, Ikire.
Defending its candidate, the APC described Oyebamiji as “a perfect gentleman who cannot hurt a fly,” adding that his political ambition was “not worth the blood of any person in the society.”
The council further alleged that recent accusations by the Accord Party were a continuation of earlier claims it said had been disproved by police investigations, and maintained that the forthcoming governorship election would be decided through lawful votes.
Meanwhile, the Osun State Police Command confirmed that Kolade was killed by gunshot and stated that officers responded promptly after receiving information about the incident.
The Police Public Relations Officer said “officers from Ikire Division were deployed to the scene, but met some youths conveying the body to the station, where they were subsequently calmed.”
According to the police, “the body has been deposited at the morgue for autopsy to determine further details surrounding the death.”
The Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Gotan, has also deployed additional personnel to the area to prevent any breakdown of law and order and to support ongoing investigations.
The command assured residents that efforts were ongoing to identify and apprehend those responsible, reiterating its commitment to ensuring justice and maintaining peace in the community.