APC slams Adeleke for claiming party was behind assault on Ataoja

The All Progressives Congress leadership in Osogbo has denounced Governor Ademola Adeleke's claim that the party was behind the alleged assassination attempt on the Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Oyetunji, calling it a baseless allegation.

On June 3, some gunmen attacked Asimiyu Ajibola, the Accord party chairman in Osogbo Local Government, but he escaped assassination and has been hospitalized since then, with the Ataoja later claiming that the same gunmen stormed his palace and shot at his workers.

The Ataoja made this claim at an endorsement programme by spare parts sellers in the state capital on Saturday, speaking in Yoruba in a short video that was shared on social media, but he did not mention that the gunmen were sponsored by any particular political party.

According to the Ataoja, the details of the incident were documented at the Osun State University Teaching Hospital, but he did not provide any further information about the attack or the perpetrators.

Governor Ademola Adeleke took to his X handle on Sunday to blame the APC for the alleged assassination attempt on the monarch, and he called on the Inspector General of Police to investigate the incident.

However, the APC leadership in Osogbo, speaking through former deputy speaker of the state House of Assembly, Akintunde Adegboye, criticized the Ataoja for being partisan and not rising above politics to be a father to all, regardless of their political affiliations.

Akintunde Adegboye stated that the APC leaders in Osogbo are concerned about the development of the city and expected the Ataoja to be a unifying figure, but instead, he has again become embroiled in politics, this time making allegations against the APC.

The APC leadership found it surprising that the alleged assassination attempt on the Ataoja was not made public until the monarch mentioned it at an endorsement programme for Governor Ademola Adeleke, which they claim looks more like blackmail than truth.

Akintunde Adegboye questioned why the Ataoja went to the University teaching hospital to report the matter instead of the police station beside the palace, and he asked the monarch to provide the names of the victims of the alleged assassination attempt.

The Ataoja's failure to report the incident at the nearest police station and his decision to go to the hospital instead has raised suspicions, according to the APC leadership, who also pointed out that the monarch did not claim that any particular party was behind the attack.

Governor Adeleke's decision to blame the APC for the incident without any evidence and his call for the IGP to investigate the matter have been criticized by the APC leadership, who claim that the Governor relied on rumors rather than facts.

The APC leadership stated that it is suspicious that no one in or around the palace discussed the alleged assassination attempt until the Ataoja made it public at a political gathering, which they claim was more of a political campaign than a genuine concern.

Akintunde Adegboye claimed that Governor Adeleke has lost control of the state's security situation, citing the Ataoja's statement that the Governor was not aware of the incident, which happened two weeks ago.

The APC leadership has called on the National Security Adviser, the Inspector General of Police, the DSS, the NSCDC, and other security agencies to investigate the claims made by the Ataoja, which they say contradict Governor Adeleke's allegations of assassination.

The APC leadership has urged the Ataoja to provide answers to questions about the alleged attack, including the names of those injured, the police station where the incident was reported, and the hospital where the victims were treated.

The APC has reaffirmed its commitment to peace and has expressed confidence that it will win the 2026 election without any violence or controversy, predicting that it will be a repeat of the June 12, 1993, election.