KEY POINTS
• Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke and top officials escaped unhurt after a podium collapsed during a political rally in Ijebu-Jesa.
• The incident caused panic at the event, which was briefly disrupted before proceedings resumed.
• Officials say there were no casualties, and the governor continued his engagements after the rally.
Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, narrowly escaped injury on Wednesday after a podium collapsed during a political rally held in Ijebu-Jesa.
The incident occurred while the governor, his deputy Kola Adewusi, Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly Adewale Egbedun, and other political figures were seated on the platform during the event.
A video from the scene showed musical performances ongoing when the event anchor was about to proceed with announcements before the structure suddenly gave way, causing panic among attendees.
Eyewitnesses said the collapse created momentary confusion as guests and security personnel rushed to assist those on the platform.
The rally, which was part of the inauguration of Imole canvassers for the Obokun/Oriade Federal Constituency, was briefly disrupted due to the incident.
A source at the event said the crowd was large and the structure may have been overstressed, leading to the sudden failure of the podium.
Despite the scare, the programme reportedly continued after those affected were safely evacuated from the scene.
No Casualties Recorded
According to a source familiar with the event, the governor and other officials returned to the programme after the situation was brought under control.
The source added that the rally resumed shortly after the evacuation, and Governor Adeleke later addressed the gathering.
The Deputy Spokesperson to the Governor, Oladele Bamiji, dismissed concerns that the incident was severe, describing it as minor and non-injurious.
He stated that the event proceeded smoothly after the brief interruption and insisted that there were no casualties.
Bamiji also noted that if any serious injury had occurred, the programme would not have continued.
He further confirmed that Governor Adeleke left the venue after the rally and proceeded to another engagement in Odo-Otin Local Government Area.