Olawuyi Willy Ayegoro, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State, on Wednesday night was shot dead by yet-to-be apprehended gunmen.
Ayegoro, a registered member of the APC in Ado Ekiti local government and staunch supporter of Dr. Kayode Fayemi, the party’s candidate for the July 14 Ekiti governorship election, was reportedly shot in the head at Atikankan area of the state capital notorious for crime.
An eyewitness said the killers immediately fled the scene, just as the shooting scared those nearby.
“The people around that place ran after the men but they were faster and escaped on a bike that conveyed them,” the source said.
The Police Public Relations Officer of the Ekiti Command, Caleb Ikechukwu, said the command had not been briefed yet.
Ikechukwu said proper actions would be taken if the incident is confirmed to be true.
Meanwhile, the state chapter of the party has come short of accusing the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state of being responsible for the attack.
It condemned the shooting, saying the continued hounding of its members would not be allowed.
A statement by its Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatunbosun, noted that Ekiti State was sliding into a “murderous era years of political killings”.
The party said the killing came hours after an early morning gun attack on the hotel owned by a former APC governorship aspirant, Dr. Wole Oluyede, in Ikere-Ekiti by suspected thugs, who were allegedly heard by a night guard raining curses on Oluyede and threatening to destroy his hotel .
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“Early yesterday morning, Oluyede’s hotel was invaded by gunmen who issued threats to the physician,” the statement said.
“The assailants didn’t leave the hotel premises until they destroyed the billboard Oluyede donated to APC governorship candidate, Dr Kayode Fayemi, to be followed in the night by gun attack on Willy, who was confirmed dead at the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado-Ekiti.
“We call on the security agencies to investigate these incidents to get to the root of the matter and bring the perpetrators to justice.
“But we warn that our party will not be intimidated by all these violent attacks to cow our members. We say no to needless bloodletting .
“Ekiti people in the last three years have been able to know who loves them between our candidate, Dr Kayemi, and Governor Ayodele Fayose.
“Ekiti people have made up their minds to vote against an oppressive system run by Fayose and there is no amount of intimidation that will distract APC from ensuring that Ekiti people have a peaceful election that will return our candidate as governor so that our people can return to the peace and security they enjoyed during Fayemi’s first term between 2010 and 2014,” the party said.
