…as Governor’s spokesperson accuses opposition party of trying to shift attention
By Ismail Azeez
The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has condemned an alleged attack on one of its members, Mr. Ibrahim Taoreed, popularly known as Arabambi, accusing the Chief of Staff to Governor Ademola Adeleke, Alhaji Kazeem Akinleye, of involvement in the incident.
The party, in a statement on Thursday signed by its Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi, alleged that Taoreed, who is the chairman of commercial motorcycle riders in Owode-Ede, Ede North Local Government Area, was attacked by political thugs acting on the directive of the governor’s Chief of Staff.
Olabisi claimed that Taoreed was abducted, beaten, and forced to renounce his membership of the APC, alleging that he was threatened for refusing to leave the party.
He called on the Osun State Commissioner of Police to investigate the allegations and invite Alhaji Akinleye and others mentioned in the claims for questioning.
According to him, the victim had reported the matter to the police but expressed concern over the handling of the case.
“We condemn in its entirety the needless attack on the members and supporters of our party, and the forceful, illegal order compelling the renunciation of our party’s membership, as was witnessed in Owode-Ede against Taoreed.”
“Is Adeleke’s Chief of Staff too limited in education to know that he was infringing on the fundamental rights of the chairman of the commercial motorcycle riders’ association by orchestrating his attack and subsequently forcing him to renounce his political affiliation? When we cried out last week that Governor Adeleke and his political co-travellers are the ones promoting violent attacks in the state, the governor went on air to debunk the allegations, falsely playing the victim,” Olabisi said.
Olabisi further claimed that when the State Commissioner of Police invites the Chief of Staff and his retinue of political thugs for investigation, the governor and his allies sponsor commercialised human rights groups to protest against the police, falsely accusing them of non-cooperation.
“We are appealing to the State Commissioner of Police not to sweep this act of inhumanity by the Adeleke Chief of Staff and his goons under the carpet. This must serve as a deterrent to other disgruntled elements in society, as Osun State cannot be turned into a Banana Republic under the oppressive and vindictive administration of Governor Adeleke. For God’s sake, Akinleye is not above the law of the land. The police should, without further delay, invite him to give his side of the story. It is this same Chief of Staff who was recently linked to a N13.7 billion payroll fraud that rocked the administration, while his recorded threats against Sadat Bakin-Ottun, a payroll audit consultant, are still fresh in the minds of the public,” he added.
Reacting to the allegation, the spokesperson for Governor Ademola Adeleke, Olawale Rasheed, dismissed the claims as mere conjecture and a desperate attempt by the APC to distract attention from what he described as the opposition party’s ongoing campaign of terror in the state.
Rasheed described Alhaji Akinleye as a peaceful politician who does not engage in violence, accusing the APC of attempting to damage his reputation through fabricated allegations.
He countered by accusing the APC of being responsible for the political violence in the state, citing alleged attacks on members of the Accord Party, and called on the police to investigate the true perpetrators.
He urged security authorities to take decisive action against individuals involved in political violence, insisting that the Adeleke administration rejects violence in all forms.
“If there is anyone who trades in violence to silence opponents, it is none other than the Osun APC. It is quite unfortunate that the party would be so brazen as to identify with Arabambi, a notorious thug suspected of being involved in recent shootings in Owode-Ede and Osogbo, which caused the death of one person and left others injured. Alhaji Akinleye is a thoroughbred democrat who respects the democratic right to freedom of choice, and at no time did he ever force people to act against their beliefs. Both the video of Arabambi and the follow-up statement by the Osun APC are scripted to mislead the public. It is a broader plan to take Alhaji Akinleye out of circulation in the build-up to the governorship election,” Rasheed stated.
Rasheed maintained that the Adeleke administration has consistently rejected violence and called for action against violent actors and their sponsors.
He expressed regret that the Osun Police Command has failed to act decisively, which he claimed has emboldened APC political thugs to continue unleashing mayhem on residents.
“In May this year, a member of the Accord Party, Mr. Kolade Eluyera, was murdered in broad daylight by suspected APC thugs, and on June 3, 2026, the Accord Chairman in Osogbo Local Government, Mr. Asimiyu Ajibola, was shot at and is still receiving treatment in the hospital. A few days ago, political thugs in branded campaign vehicles shot at civilians, and up till now, no arrest has been made even though the attackers are well known to the police. It is therefore reprehensible for the Osun APC to try to shift attention away from its violent campaigns against Accord members and the people of Osun by casting a peace-loving man in a bad light,” Rasheed narrated.
The governor’s spokesperson enjoined police authorities to conduct an unbiased and transparent investigation into the narratives put forward by the APC and Arabambi, particularly the claims involving officers at the Zone II Headquarters, which he said impugned the integrity of the force.
He reiterated that no one in the government promotes violence and urged the police to take firm action against thugs operating within the state.