Panic briefly swept through a political gathering in Osun State on Wednesday after a section of the platform where Governor Ademola Adeleke and other top officials were seated suddenly gave way.
According to The PUNCH, the incident happened during an event in Ijebu-Jesa town, where the governor and his entourage had gathered to inaugurate campaign canvassers for the Obokun/Oriade Federal Constituency.
A short video clip from the rally showed that songs were playing as the master of ceremonies was concluding a segment of the programme. Moments later, the section of the podium where the governor, his deputy Kola Adewusi, the Speaker of the State House of Assembly Adewale Egbedun, and campaign spokesperson Pelumi Olajengbesi were seated collapsed.
A witness at the venue, who asked not to be named because he was not permitted to speak to the press, said the collapse disrupted the flow of the event but did not cause any serious harm.
“The crowd was quite large. The governor and some of his cabinet members were seated on that part of the podium that fell. Thankfully, no one was hurt. Security personnel quickly helped everyone out, and the programme continued after a short while,” the source said.
Speaking on the incident, the deputy spokesperson to the governor, Oladele Bamiji, downplayed the severity of what happened.
He said the event carried on without any major disruption and that neither the governor nor any other official sustained injuries.
“There were no casualties. If it had been a serious accident, the event would have been called off. But the governor addressed the gathering and later proceeded to another function in Odo-Otin Local Government Area as scheduled,” Bamiji said.
