A member of the House of Representatives and Director-General of the Osun State Governorship Campaign Council, Oluwole Oke, has denied allegations linking him and the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the killing of an Accord Party member, Ajayi Aderogba, popularly known as Rogba.
Aderogba was reportedly shot dead on Tuesday in Esa Oke, Obokun Local Government Area of Osun State, during preparations for a political rally organised in support of Governor Ademola Adeleke’s second-term bid.
Following the incident, the spokesperson for the Adeleke Campaign Organisation, Pelumi Olajengbesi, accused Oke of being responsible for the attack that led to the death of the party supporter.
In a statement posted on his Facebook page, Olajengbesi alleged that the federal lawmaker had made efforts to stop the planned political event from taking place.
“Just yesterday, while we were preparing for a political programme in Esa Oke, Wole Oke made several efforts to frustrate the programme and prevent it from holding,” he alleged.
He described the deceased as a committed supporter of Governor Adeleke and the Accord Party.
Reacting to the allegation, Oke, in a statement issued on Wednesday through his media aide, Tunde Omolebi-Sunday, dismissed the claims as false, baseless and misleading.
The lawmaker expressed shock over Aderogba’s death and extended his condolences to the bereaved family, friends and residents of Esa Oke.
He faulted Olajengbesi for attributing blame before the conclusion of investigations by security agencies.
“Such conclusions, made without any credible investigation or report from security agencies, are not only premature but deeply irresponsible. As a legal practitioner, he ought to understand the primacy of evidence, due process and responsible public communication,” the statement read.
Oke maintained that neither he nor the APC had any involvement in the incident and called for a thorough and impartial investigation to uncover those responsible.
“We therefore firmly state that Hon. Oluwole Oke and the APC have no connection whatsoever to the death of Ajayi Rogba. Any attempt to link them to this tragic occurrence without substantiated evidence is false, misleading and must be rejected,” the statement added.
The federal lawmaker urged the police and other relevant security agencies to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the killing and ensure that justice is served.
According to the statement, preliminary information from the community suggested that the incident may have arisen from clashes involving rival groups and possible reprisal attacks, although it stressed that only a proper investigation could establish the facts.
Oke also appealed to political actors and residents to avoid inflammatory statements capable of escalating tensions and to allow security agencies to carry out their duties professionally.
He further cautioned against politicising the death, describing it as a tragic incident that should not be exploited for political purposes.
The statement called on all stakeholders to respect due process, uphold the rule of law and remain committed to peace while investigations continue.
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