Drama as Senate ex-spokesman, Adeleke supporters clash at Eid ground

Sitting arrangement at the Osogbo Central Eid praying ground, Oke Baale, Osogbo, on Wednesday, led to a clash between a supporter of Governor Ademola Adeleke and a chieftain of the opposition All Progressives Congress, Senator Ajibola Basiru.

Trouble started when one of Adeleke’s supporters, Muniru Raji, approached Basiru and told him he was occupying the space reserved for the governor, who was on his way.

The development led to a disagreement between the two men, throwing the Eid ground, where Muslim faithful were settling down for prayers, into a rowdy session.

The drama was still on when the governor arrived at the Eid ground, accompanied by some chieftains of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party.

As a result of the situation, the governor could not immediately proceed to his seat and he had to return to his vehicle parked near the entrance of the Eid ground.

A few minutes later, the governor was led back in by the Asiwaju Musulumi of Yorubaland, Edo and Delta, Alhaji Tunde Badmus, and the Chief Imam of Osogbo, Sheikh Musa Animashaun.

However, amid continued agitation by Basiru’s supporters, the governor’s convoy was seen driving out of the Eid ground even before the prayers commenced.

Speaking to our correspondent on the incident, Basiru blamed an “overzealous supporter”of the governor for the situation.

Basiru said, “Muniru Raji came to assault me, instructing me to stand up because the place was not meant for me and I told him that there was no place reserved for anybody in the mosque.”

The APC chieftain, who had been in a war of words with the Adeleke government in recent times, added that, “I did not see any protocol nor advance party of the governor; there was no security personnel where I sat, no indication that where I sat was for the governor.”

“After the prayer, some policemen said the Commissioner of Police wanted to see me and I told them that I will see him together with the Muslim community leaders that I went with in same vehicle.

“I don’t have problem with the governor of Osun State and there were no indications that where I sat was reserved for the governor,” he said.

But Raji toldInside that Basiru delibrately occupied the spot already prepared for the governor just to disrupt the Eid prayers.

“Adeleke is a peaceful person. When he observed the place where he was to sit was rowdy, he returned to his vehicle.

“If the governor had wanted to use force to dislodge the thugs, people would have be injured but because he would not want that, he left the premises. I was among those that approached Basiru, asking him to leave where governor was to seat,” Raji said.

Meanwhile, Osun State Government has accused some APC chieftains in the state of masterminding attack on Adeleke at the Eid ground.

Also, the Osun PDP accused Basiru of mobilising thugs to the Eid ground “in a bid to launch an assassination attack on the innocent governor, whose sole mission was to worship alongside other Muslim faithful.”