CITIZENS COMPASS— Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, on Wednesday, escaped death by whiskers during a political event in Ijebu-Jesa, Ori-Ade Local Government Area of the state.
It was learnt that the campaign stage collapsed during the inauguration of the governor’s re-election canvassers,
Present at the occasion were loyalists to the governor and members of the political party.
Adeleke had mounted the stage with members of his entourage, including his sister, Chief Modupe Adeleke, his Chief of Staff, Kazeem Akinleye, and other senior government and party officials.
They were received on the stage by the spokesperson of the governor’s re-election campaign council, Barr. Pelumi Olajengbesi, as supporters cheered from the crowd.
However, what began as a colourful political gathering soon turned into confusion after the stage, which was said to have been overcrowded, suddenly gave way.
Trouble reportedly started when the governor rose from his seat to acknowledge the cheering crowd. As he waved to supporters, several persons on the stage also stood up and joined in the excitement.
The movement reportedly caused the already crowded platform to shake before it eventually collapsed, throwing the governor, his sister, his Chief of Staff, campaign officials and other dignitaries to the ground.
The development triggered panic among supporters and security operatives, who rushed to rescue the governor and other affected persons from the collapsed structure.
Some party members and officials were said to have sustained injuries in the incident, although the extent of the injuries could not be immediately confirmed.
Security operatives quickly moved in and helped the governor and other dignitaries away from the scene as the ruined stage became unusable.
The collapse disrupted the event and forced organisers to hurriedly bring the programme to an end, as there was no longer a safe platform from which the ceremony could continue.
The incident caused anxiety among supporters, many of whom initially feared that the governor and top officials may have been seriously injured.
Adeleke had attended the event as part of activities linked to his re-election campaign mobilisation ahead of the next governorship contest in the state.
The collapse has, however, raised fresh concerns about safety arrangements at political gatherings, especially where largenumbers of officials, aides and security personnel are allowed to mount temporary stages.
Although the governor was quickly assisted by his security detail, the incident created a tense moment at the venue as party loyalists struggled to understand what had happened.
The programme, which was meant to formally inaugurate canvassers for Adeleke’s re-election bid, ended abruptly after the stage collapse.
As of the time of filing this report, there had been no detailed official statement on the governor’s condition or the number of persons injured in the incident.
—GWG
