Tension gripped Ilesa, Osun State, yesterday morning after suspected political thugs attacked a community and shot members of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The incident reportedly occurred around 7:30 a.m. as party members gathered at the Igbogi area of Ilesa for their final rally. Witnesses said the assailants, armed with pump-action rifles, stormed the venue and opened fire indiscriminately.
A resident, identified as Sola told Ayemafuge: “We were preparing for our final rally today. Our leaders asked us to converge at Igbogi by 8 a.m. But at about 7:30 a.m., the thugs invaded and started shooting sporadically. Four people were hit. It is so unfortunate. This attack comes barely three days after Amotekun clashed with our members.”
Confirming the incident, Oluremi Omowaiye, Media Head of the APC Campaign Council, said:
“Four of our supporters were shot. Two have died, while two others are in critical condition. Our Woman Leader in Ilesa is among the victims and is currently struggling to breathe at Wesley Guild Hospital.”
Within 24 hours, violence escalated further. Reports indicated that 12 APC members were killed in separate attacks—five during a rally at the weekend and seven more on Tuesday while they were converging for another grand rally in Igbogi.
Following the spate of killings, APC members regrouped and staged a protest in Ilesa against what they described as political intimidation and targeted violence. The protesters were later joined by leaders of the APC in Ijesa land, led by Senator Francis Fadahunsi, who addressed the crowd.
Meanwhile, a video emerged on social media where Fadahunsi was heard berating the killings and political intimidation ahead of the poll. His remark—“We must not see any Accord Party member in Ijesa land. When you see them, kill them”—sparked political tension across Osun State.
Governor Ademola Adeleke subsequently called for the arrest of the Senator representing Osun East District.
Reacting to the development, Fadahunsi, in a statement by his media office, denied making the remark in the violent sense, saying:
“I meant kill Accord with your votes. At no point did Senator Fadahunsi advocate violence, intimidation or any form of physical attack against members or supporters of the Accord Party or any other political party.”
His consistent position has always been that elections should be decided by the votes of the people and not by force.”
He further urged political actors, party supporters, and the electorate to conduct themselves peacefully before, during, and after the election, and called on security agencies to remain professional and ensure that every eligible voter can exercise their constitutional right without fear or intimidation.
“Senator Fadahunsi remains committed to democratic values, issue-based campaigns and a credible electoral process. He believes that the will of the people, freely expressed through the ballot, must always prevail. We, therefore, appeal to members of the public not to misinterpret or deliberately distort the Senator’s comments, as they
were clearly intended to encourage electoral victory through the power of the ballot and not through violence,” the statement added.
Meanwhile, Police Public Relations Officer in Osun, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, confirmed investigations were ongoing and promised to provide details of the attack.
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