Tensions are rising in Nigeria’s Osun State ahead of the August 15 governorship election after police arrested the state Commissioner for Environment and Sanitation, Mayowa Adejoorin, over a shooting incident at an APC campaign rally in Ilesa.
Four people were reportedly injured during the incident, including a 14-year-old boy who was allegedly hit in the thigh by a stray bullet. The injured victims were taken to hospital for treatment, while no deaths had been reported at the time of publication.
The shooting reportedly occurred during a confrontation involving supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and members of the Accord Party.
Police said their personnel moved to the scene after receiving reports of gunfire, secured the area and recovered items including spent cartridges and Amotekun security personnel caps.
The police also confirmed that Adejoorin was arrested at the scene and taken to the command for questioning as part of the investigation.
The arrest has triggered a political dispute, with Governor Ademola Adeleke’s campaign team condemning the action.
The Imole Campaign Council spokesman, Pelumi Olajengbesi, accused the police of politically targeting Accord leaders and called on the Inspector-General of Police to intervene.
The campaign council alleged that several Accord leaders and supporters in Ijesaland had recently been arrested, arguing that the arrests could weaken the party ahead of the election.
It also accused the APC of seeking to create conditions that could favour electoral manipulation. The allegation has not been independently established.
The campaign team demanded Adejoorin’s immediate release and questioned the basis and evidence for his arrest.
The police, however, maintained that the commissioner was arrested in connection with the shooting and that investigations were continuing.
The incident comes less than a week before Osun voters are expected to choose their next governor, putting renewed focus on security and political tensions across the state.The latest confrontation could further heighten concerns about violence as political parties intensify their campaigns ahead of the election.
