The acting chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers in Osun State, Kazeem Oyewale, has denied allegations linking him to an alleged assassination attempt on Adebayo Adeleke, popularly known as B-Red, the son of Governor Ademola Adeleke.
The controversy followed claims made by the Osun State Government through the Commissioner for Information, Kolapo Alimi, who alleged that B-Red narrowly escaped an attack allegedly orchestrated by hoodlums said to be under Oyewale’s leadership.
According to the government, the incident reportedly occurred in the Oke-Fia area of Osogbo, just a short distance from the Osun State Government House.
However, reacting to the allegations on Monday during an interview with journalists in Osogbo, Oyewale, who is also known as Asiri Eniba, strongly denied any involvement and described the accusations as false and politically motivated.
The Osun APC chieftain said he was considering legal action against the state government over what he termed defamatory claims.
He also appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, to intervene and ensure his safety as well as that of his supporters.
“I want to call the attention of President Bola Tinubu, the IGP and Nigerians. They should come to my aid because the governor and Kolapo Alimi (Commissioner for Information) have called for my arrest over untrue allegations, and they are even threatening me,” he said.
Oyewale further alleged that his family had previously suffered violence, claiming that his younger brother was killed in November 2022 and that the body had not been released to the family.
“Those after me killed my younger brother in November 2022, and they have not released the corpse to us till today. This is another election cycle in Osun State.
“They have been trailing me and want to kill me. They are lying against me, making claims that they cannot substantiate, among which is the allegation that I want to kill the governor’s son.”
He also dismissed claims linking him to acts of political violence and vandalism, including allegations surrounding the destruction of campaign billboards.
“They killed my younger brother and now they are alleging that I am behind the destruction of billboards. It does not sound logical. I don’t know anything about these allegations. This is the style they adopted in 2022.
“I am a member of the APC. What is my business with Accord? Any time something goes wrong within their party, they will blame me for it.”
The transport union leader also urged his supporters not to panic, insisting that the allegations were part of a deliberate attempt to intimidate members of the opposition ahead of future political activities in the state.
He accused the state government of reviving what he described as tactics previously used during the 2022 election cycle.
“They used the style of indiscriminate arrest of NURTW members in 2022, but it can’t happen again. That is why they have embarked on a campaign of calumny against my personality,” he added.
The development adds fresh tension to Osun’s political atmosphere as political actors continue positioning ahead of the next election cycle.
What You Should Know
The latest face-off between the Osun State Government and the state NURTW leadership highlights the growing political tension ahead of future elections in the state.
Allegations of assassination plots, political intimidation, and threats of legal action reflect deepening divisions between rival camps. Such accusations, if left unresolved, could escalate political instability and raise concerns over security in Osun.
The controversy also revives memories of past election-related clashes involving transport union members and political actors, making the need for transparent investigations and law enforcement neutrality increasingly important as the state moves closer to another heated political season.
