Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, on Wednesday narrowly escaped what could have been a major tragedy after a campaign stage collapsed during a political event in Ijebu-Jesa, Oriade Local Government Area of the state.
The incident occurred during the inauguration of the governor’s re-election canvassers. The event drew party loyalists, political appointees, security operatives and supporters.
Adeleke 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.
The gathering turned chaotic when the stage, said to be 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.
The movement 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 sustained injuries, though the extent 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 end the programme, as there was no longer a safe platform for the ceremony.
Adeleke 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 raised fresh concerns about safety arrangements at political gatherings, especially where large numbers of officials, aides and security personnel mount temporary stages.
Although the governor was quickly assisted by his security detail, the incident created a tense moment as party loyalists struggled to understand what had happened.
