APC, Accord Trade Blame Amid Gunshots At Campaigns

Adeleke commissioner under arrest – Police EFCC obeys Tinubu’s order, unfreezes state govt accounts

Tension heightened in Osun State on Saturday as the Accord Party and the All Progressives Congress (APC) traded blame over a sporadic shooting that disrupted an APC campaign rally in Ilesa, leaving at least four people injured.

Among those reportedly hit by bullets were a boy, Adewale Akerele; Tobi Ilesanmi; Wasiu Aramide, said to be an APC member; and a truck driver simply identified as Mohammed.

The incident occurred when APC supporters, who had gathered for an early-morning rally in the Oke-Omiru area of Ilesa, were marching towards Isokun.

The shooting triggered protests by APC members, who demanded the arrest of the Chief Whip of the Osun State House of Assembly, Olawale Akerele, whom they accused of being involved in the incident.

But the ruling Accord Party denied the allegation and accused APC members of attacking its supporters.

The development further heightened political tension in the state ahead of the August 15 governorship election, in which Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party is seeking re-election against the APC candidate, Asiwaju Bola Oyebamiji, and other contenders.

Reacting to the incident, the spokesperson of the Imole Campaign Council, Pelumi Olajengbesi, accused the APC of attacking its members.

However, the Director of Media of the AMBO Campaign Organisation, Hon. Remi Omowaye, alleged that hoodlums, allegedly aided by operatives of the Amotekun Corps, unleashed terror on APC supporters during the rally.

Speaking with journalists in Osogbo, Omowaye alleged that the Chief Whip of the state House of Assembly was the arrowhead of the attack.

He also claimed that police officers at the scene were helpless while the shooting lasted.

Omowaye said he personally facilitated the evacuation of an injured boy to Wesley Guild Hospital, Ilesa, where the victim was receiving treatment as of the time of the briefing.

Commissioner Arrested

Meanwhile, the Accord Party called on the Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, to order the immediate release of the Osun State Commissioner for Environment, Mayowa Adejoorin, who was arrested in connection with the incident.

Olajengbesi said Adejoorin was arrested on the outskirts of Ilesa while travelling to Osogbo, and urged the police authorities to release him and others allegedly being held in connection with the incident.

However, the Osun State Police Command confirmed Adejoorin’s arrest, saying he was detained as part of investigations into the shooting.

The command’s spokesperson, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, said police personnel moved to the scene immediately after the incident was reported, cordoned off the area and recovered exhibits, including expended cartridges and Amotekun personnel caps.

He said Adejoorin was arrested at the scene and taken to the command for questioning.

“Immediately the incident was reported, our personnel moved to the scene, cordoned off the area, and recovered some exhibits, including expended cartridges and Amotekun personnel caps.

“Also, Mr Adejoorin was arrested at the scene and has been taken to the command for questioning as part of the investigation process,” Ojelabi said.

Adejoorin’s political aide, Adewuyi Kosemani, also confirmed his detention, saying the commissioner had been arrested after attending a meeting in Ilesa.

He said his boss’s whereabouts were unknown as of the time of filing the report.

Accord Accuses APC Of Election Hacking

Amid the growing political tension, the Accord Party accused the Osun APC of importing and harbouring election result hackers at a hotel in Osogbo ahead of the election.

The party, in a statement signed by its state chairman, Pastor Victor Akande, alleged that the individuals were brought into the state from Lagos and Abuja to establish an operational centre at the GMT Hotel.

Akande alleged that the hackers were planning to compromise the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) electronic system and manipulate the results of the governorship election.

“The hackers were brought in from Lagos and Abuja, and they have set up an operational centre at the GMT Hotel. Their target is to compromise the INEC electronic system to impute fake election results into the INEC server,” he alleged.

The party called on security agencies to investigate and raid the alleged operational centres, while urging INEC to strengthen the security of its digital infrastructure.

Accord also alleged that the state Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Gotan, had been enabling attacks on its leaders and members.

In a statement by the Chairman of the Media and Publicity Sub-Committee of its campaign council, Bamidele Salam, the party alleged that Gotan held a clandestine meeting with some APC leaders to plan attacks against Accord leaders.

The party alleged that Senator Francis Fadahunsi, Wole Oke, Remi Omowaye and two other APC leaders attended the meeting.

It further accused the commissioner of running a parallel police structure and deploying police personnel alongside suspected APC thugs to attack Accord offices and homes in Ijeshaland.

APC: Accord Afraid Of Losing

The APC and Senator Fadahunsi, however, dismissed the allegations as false.

The APC spokesman, Chief Kola Olabisi, said the party was law-abiding and had no plan to rig the election.

“Nobody is harbouring any hacker anywhere. We are a law-abiding party. The APC isn’t planning to rig this election because we are popular in the state,” he said.

Fadahunsi similarly dismissed the allegation, describing it as the “ranting of a losing party”.

“Ignore them. We are focused on winning the election,” the senator said.

Police Broker Peace Over Final Rallies

In a related development, the Osun State Police Command has brokered a peace agreement between Accord and the APC over the dates and venues of their final campaign rallies.

The agreement was reached at a strategic meeting convened by the Commissioner of Police (Elections), CP Samuel Erale Etaifo, with representatives from both parties.

According to a statement signed by the state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, the meeting was held in an atmosphere of mutual understanding and cooperation.

Under the agreement, Accord will hold its final campaign rally on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, at Fakunle, while the APC will hold its final rally on Thursday, August 13, at Freedom Park, Osogbo.

The police said the arrangement was designed to prevent clashes between supporters of the two parties and maintain law and order ahead of the election.

Etaifo urged political parties and candidates to caution their supporters against violence, intimidation, thuggery and incitement.

He warned that anyone found engaging in acts that could disrupt peace would be arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the law.

The police commissioner also assured political parties and residents that the Nigeria Police Force would remain neutral and provide adequate security for lawful political activities.

EFCC Unfreezes Osun Accounts

Meanwhile, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has lifted the freeze order placed on three Osun State Government bank accounts following President Bola Tinubu’s directive, according to findings by LEADERSHIP Sunday.

The development followed controversy over the commission’s decision to restrict transactions on the accounts as part of an investigation into alleged diversion of public funds and money laundering.

The EFCC had, in a letter dated August 5, 2026, directed the affected banks to place a Post-No-Debit restriction on the accounts.

The commission subsequently obtained an ex parte order from the Federal High Court in Abuja on the same day authorising the freezing of the accounts pending the conclusion of its investigation and possible prosecution.

The order, issued by Justice M.G. Umar in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1750/2026 covered the Osun State Government Federal Allocation Account with First Bank and two Osun State Joint Allocation Accounts with Zenith Bank.

The controversy surrounding the freeze intensified as the governorship election approached, with political stakeholders expressing concern that the action could disrupt governance and heighten political tension.

President Tinubu subsequently directed the EFCC to unfreeze the accounts.

Multiple sources within the state government and the commission confirmed that the directive was implemented immediately.

A source within the state government said the accounts were activated “almost immediately after the President gave the directive”.

A senior source at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja also confirmed that the commission complied with the directive “with immediate alacrity”.

The source, however, stressed that the original freezing of the accounts was backed by a valid court order.

“A court order was duly obtained. We couldn’t have done that without legal backing, given how sensitive it could be. We approached the court and were granted an order,” the source said.

The development is expected to ease some of the political tension surrounding the election, even as the two major parties intensify their campaigns ahead of the August 15 governorship poll.