Members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Esa-Oke, Obokun Local Government Area of Osun, have urged politicians in the state not to politicise the killing of an Accord Party member, Ajayi Rogba, in the community.

Mr Ajayi, an indigene of the town, was reportedly killed on Tuesday night by suspected thugs.

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Following the incident, Governor Ademola Adeleke on Wednesday paid a condolence visit to the family of the deceased, urging the police to conduct a thorough investigation to apprehend those responsible.

Addressing a news conference on Friday in Esa-Oke, Prof. Siji Olamiju, who spoke on behalf of the APC members in the area, said the death of Mr Ajayi should not be turned into an opportunity for political point-scoring or propaganda.

Mr Olamiju described such actions as insensitive to the grief of the bereaved family and detrimental to the pursuit of justice.

He said, “APC members in Ward 7, Esa-Oke, consider it necessary to address the growing attempts by some political actors to exploit this tragedy for partisan purposes.

“We are particularly concerned that certain individuals have hastily linked this unfortunate incident to politics without allowing the Nigeria Police Force and other relevant security agencies to conclude their investigations. Justice can only be achieved through a thorough, impartial and professional investigation, not through speculation, political rhetoric or media trials.”

Mr Olamiju also distanced the Director-General of the APC Campaign Council for the August 15 governorship election, Wole Oke, from the killing.

According to him, attempts to implicate the party or Mr Oke are baseless, politically motivated and unsupported by credible evidence.

“We respectfully urge His Excellency, Governor Ademola Adeleke, and all public office holders to exercise restraint and allow law enforcement agencies to discharge their constitutional responsibilities independently and without interference or premature conclusions,” he added.

Mr Olamiju further called on the police and other security agencies to conduct a comprehensive, transparent and unbiased investigation to bring the perpetrators to justice.

“The APC remains committed to the rule of law, justice and accountability. We firmly maintain that whoever is found culpable after a lawful and impartial investigation—regardless of political affiliation, social status or influence—must face the full weight of the law,” he said.

He also appealed to political stakeholders to honour the memory of the deceased by allowing truth, justice and due process to prevail over politics and unfounded accusations.

(NAN)