In a dramatic turn of events at the Osogbo Eid prayer ground, heated arguments ensued over the sitting position of the Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, leading to a chaotic scene on Wednesday morning.
The incident took place at the Oke-Baale area in Osogbo, leaving attendees bewildered and the governor unable to participate in the religious event.
Reports indicate that Ajibola Basiru, the former spokesperson for the Nigerian Senate, arrived at the prayer ground and allegedly occupied the seat reserved for the governor. When Governor Adeleke arrived a few minutes later, efforts were made to persuade Basiru to vacate the space for the governor, but all attempts proved futile.
Witnesses at the scene described the situation as rancorous, with tensions escalating as both parties stood their ground. Muslim leaders present intervened in an attempt to defuse the mounting tension and allow the Eid-el-Kabir prayer to commence.
According to an eyewitness who spoke to The Point, “Efforts to make Basiru leave the sitting space didn’t yield positive results as the Senator remained in his space.” The witness further explained that before the governor’s arrival, Senator Basiru had already taken his seat in the front row, which had been designated for Governor Adeleke.
Despite appeals from Muslim leaders, including Baba TUNS, urging Governor Adeleke not to leave in anger, the impasse persisted. They made further attempts to persuade Senator Basiru to relinquish his position, preventing the governor from being relegated to the back row. However, Basiru stood firm and refused to yield, exacerbating the situation.
Eventually, Governor Adeleke and his entourage left the prayer ground in frustration, unable to partake in the religious ceremony. The prayer commenced only after the commotion subsided.
In response to the incident, Olawale Rasheed, the spokesperson for Governor Adeleke, briefly stated, “The governor escaped an assassination attempt,” before abruptly ending the phone conversation, presumably due to an urgent matter. Rasheed promised to return the call but was unavailable for further comments.
Efforts to reach Senator Basiru for his perspective were unsuccessful as his phone was not reachable at the time of contact