THE death of a 14-year-old boy in Ilobu, Osun State, has sparked a fresh war of words between the All Progressives Congress, APC, and the Imole Campaign Council, with both sides accusing each other of politicising the tragedy ahead of the forthcoming governorship election.
Media recalls that a teenager, identified as Ezekiel Olapade, was reportedly killed during a shooting incident on Sunday near the Irepodun Local Government Secretariat, Ilobu with nother person also injured during the attack.
The incident has generated widespread concern in the state and intensified political tensions, as rival political parties continue to trade accusations over the circumstances surrounding the killing and the reactions that followed.
The APC, in a statement issued on Tuesday by its Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi, criticised Governor Ademola Adeleke’s visit to the bereaved family, alleging that the occasion was transformed into a political event.
According to Olabisi, “the governor should have focused solely on mourning with the family rather than making remarks that the party interpreted as political in nature.
“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 said.
The opposition party also questioned the governor’s comments regarding the incident, arguing that it was improper to attribute responsibility for the killing before the conclusion of police investigations.
Olabisi stated, “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.”
The APC alleged that there were contradictions in the governor’s position after he reportedly called for a police investigation while simultaneously expressing views on those responsible for the attack.
Meanwhile, the Imole Campaign Council dismissed the APC’s allegations and accused the opposition party of attempting to exploit the teenager’s death for political advantage.
In a statement signed by its spokesperson, Pelumi Olajengbesi, the council expressed concern over what it described as an increase in political violence in Osun State and called on all political actors to exercise restraint.
Olajengbesi said the loss of innocent lives should unite stakeholders in the pursuit of peace rather than deepen political divisions.
“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,” he said.
The council also urged security agencies, including the Inspector-General of Police, to ensure that all residents receive equal protection regardless of political affiliation and warned against selective enforcement of the law.
Olajengbesi maintained that electoral contests should be determined through public support and democratic participation, adding, “Democracy demands persuasion, not coercion.
Political parties should compete with ideas, policies, and performance, not with conduct that threatens public peace and safety.”
The controversy followed allegations by the deceased’s father, Gbenga Olapade, who claimed that his son was struck by a bullet while trying to assist his mother during the chaos.
He also alleged that armed men opened fire near a palm wine bar owned by his wife and the deceased teenager’s mother and that security personnel at the scene failed to intervene as the attackers arrived.