Taofeek Mustapha, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was shot on Saturday in Osogbo by alleged political thugs in Osun State.
This is as the August election for the state governorship draws closer.
The State Police Command confirmed the incident which happened in the Oluode-Aranyin area of the state.
The attack has reportedly heightened tensions between rival political factions across the state.
The victim, who survived the shooting, said the assailants targeted him because he was wearing a cap associated with the APC candidate.
He said, “I put on the AMBO crested cap when the shooting occurred. Everyone ran to safety and they pursued me because I was wearing the APC candidate cap. I did not wait but was shot. I cried for help before they retrieved back into the vehicle and drove away.”
State Police Command spokesperson Abiodun Ojelabi confirmed that investigators have launched an official inquiry to track down and identify the perpetrators behind the violence.
The outbreak of hostility directly undermines recent security initiatives; just days prior, the police force, alongside allied security agencies and electoral partners, had convened a high-stakes summit to extract a formal peace commitment from all political parties ahead of the campaign season.
However, the ruling Accord Party and the APC did not show up for the meeting.
Political parties fault absence of Accord and APC at Osun election peace meeting
Earlier concerns over the absence of two major political parties, Accord and the All Progressives Congress, dominated discussions at a peace meeting organised by the Nigeria Police Force in Osogbo on Wednesday ahead of the 2026 Osun State governorship election were raised.
Representatives of smaller political parties criticised the failure of the ruling Accord and the All Progressives Congress to attend the meeting, which was convened by the Osun State Police Command alongside other security agencies.
The gathering brought together political parties, electoral officials, and security stakeholders to discuss peaceful conduct before, during, and after the election.
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