Osun 2026: Accord Campaign Alleges Political Killing After Member Shot Dead

A member of the Accord Party in Osun State, Mr Yomi David Akanji, has been reportedly shot dead by yet-to-be-identified gunmen in the Olude area of Osogbo, in an incident that has heightened political tension ahead of the August 15 governorship election.

Although the circumstances surrounding the killing remained unclear as of the time of filing this report, the Imole Campaign Council alleged that the assailants were suspected political thugs.

In a statement issued on Saturday by the Chairman of the Media and Publicity Committee of the Imole Campaign Council, Rep. Bamidele Salam, the campaign council said the deceased, described as a father of three, was attacked near his residence on Friday evening.

According to the statement, Akanji was allegedly waylaid and shot while inside his vehicle by armed assailants who fled the scene after the attack.

The campaign council condemned the killing and called on the Nigeria Police Force to launch a thorough investigation into the incident and ensure that those responsible are identified and brought to justice.

The council also alleged that its House of Representatives candidate for Ijesa South Federal Constituency, Popoola Alaba, popularly known as Alabama, and three other Accord Party members were arrested by police officers on Saturday morning.

It claimed that the arrests were carried out by a team of policemen allegedly led by an officer identified as Wemimo while the party members were holding a meeting with Accord canvassers.

According to the campaign council, the officers reportedly stormed the venue of the meeting, arrested Alaba and the others, and took them to the Osun State Police Command Headquarters in Osogbo. It further alleged that some party members were assaulted during the operation.

The council demanded the immediate and unconditional release of the detained party members, insisting that they had committed no offence.

As of the time of this report, the Osun State Police Command had yet to issue an official statement on both the reported killing and the alleged arrests. Efforts to obtain the police’s reaction were unsuccessful.

The incident comes amid heightened political activities in Osun State as parties intensify campaigns ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
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