Sallah: APC, PDP trade blame as Adeleke’s aides, ex-senate spokesman clash over sitting space at prayer ground

Blessing Akorowosi, Osogbo

 

There was pandemonium at the Eid prayer ground in Oke Baale area of Osogbo, Osun State capital on Wednesday morning as an argument ensued over the sitting space of Governor Ademola Adeleke.

It was alleged that the sitting position of the governor and his entourage at the front was earlier occupied by the former Senate spokesperson, Senator Ajibola Basiru.
Meanwhile, efforts to have Basiru vacate the seat proved abortive and the governor could not proceed with the Eid prayers on that prayer ground.
It was gathered that there was no advance team of the governor to label his seat hence the scenerio.
An eye witness explained that there was no attack at the prayer ground as some others insinuated
“There was nothing like an attack. Majority of worshippers at the back doesn’t even know what is happening in the front if there is an attack.
“I only condemned the action of the Mr Governor for leaving the place. He suppose to act as the Chief Security Officer of the State.
“Gvernor Adeleke and his people went away angrily and couldn’t stay for the prayer. The prayer started after the noise and confusion were over,” he said.
However, the Governor’s Spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed has described what transpired as an an assassination attempt on the governor who has ordered the arrest of the senator.
He noted that the governor was not hurt and normalcy had been restored.
Similarly, Governor Adeleke has appealed for calm soon after he escaped an “assassination” attempt at the Osogbo Eid praying ground.
The governor, in a statement by his spokesperson, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, thanked God for preserving him and his team, directing law enforcement agents to arrest culprits behind the incident.
“My good people of Osun, I appeal for calm and urge us to continue to celebrate the Sallah festival in peace. I am safe by the special grace of God”, the statement quoted the governor to have said.
“I have directed security agencies to arrest those behind the incident and get them to face the wrath of the law. The Commissioner of Police has been directed to arrest those involved no matter how highly placed.”
Meanwhile, Adeleke has condemned the orchestrated attacks on the Governor by stalwarts of the All Progressives Congress at the praying ground.
Members of the public will recall an earlier security alert to an evil plot to destabilize the peace and stability of Osun state.
The statement added “the government particularly noted with shock and surprise the role played by former Senator Ajibola Bashiru, who took over the space reserved for the governor at the prayer ground. All efforts to get the former Senator to vacate the space proved abortive.
PDP members who agitated for respect for the office of the governor were beaten up. It was chaotic scene which the governor walked into when he arrived at the ground for the Eid prayer.
“The governor was even more shocked that thugs armed to the teeth were spotted all over the praying ground with security information that they were imported to eliminate the governor and key government functionaries.
“The governor who arrived at the venue hoping to observe the Eid prayers was practically surrounded by armed thugs, prompting security men to ferry the governor into his jeep.
“For the second time, the governor attempted to enter the praying field, but the encirclement by armed thugs was already visible.
It was at that point that the governor had to leave the praying ground.
The governor is now safely at home, receiving guests and leaders from all walks of life”.

Meanwhile, The Osun State Chapter of the All-Progressives Congress (APC) has condemned Wednesday invasion of the Muslim Praying Ground at Oke-Bale, Osogbo by Governor Ademola Adeleke and his retinue of political thugs who are loyal to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with some soldiers and policemen.

According to the state chairman of the APC, Sooko Tajudeen Lawal, in a statement issued by the party’s Director of Media and Information, Chief Kola Olabisi, in Osogbo,  the entire scenario which culminated in a rancorous scene orchestrated by Governor Adeleke and his political hoodlums amounted to executive lawlessness.

 

According to sources trouble started when without prior notification by the advanced party and protocol unit of the Governor’s Office, Governor Adeleke’s handlers badged into the Muslim Praying Ground and ordered a respected leader of Osogbo, Alhaji Tunde Badmus, the Asiwaju of Osogboland and Senator Ajibola Bashiru,  to vacate ⁶where they were already seated and that it was the choice of the space for the governor.

 

According to him, “it was an attempt to forcefully remove Alhaji Badmus and Senator Bashiru from their seats at the praying ground and subsequent executive order by Governor Adeleke who hails from Ede, to the police to effect the arrest of the two prominent sons of Osogbo that degenerated into the confusion which engulfed the scene.

 

It was further learnt that the governor who left the scene before the beginning of the Eid-Eil-Kabir prayers session issued an order to close the gate of the entrance of the praying ground in order to effect the arrest of Alhaji Badmus and Bashiru.

 

Consequently, the “indigenes of Osogbo, who saw no reason for the arrest, resisted the development, which resulted in the ensuing rancorous scene.

 

The added that Governor Adeleke did not even alight from his official vehicle throughout the duration of the crisis, thus repudiating claim by those who are reporting an assassination attempt on the governor.

 

Lawal condemned the needless heating up of the polity by Adeleke and his co-travellers, advising him to go and sort out himself with the aggrieved members of his party whom he has been having a running battle with in recent times.

 

He recalled how Governor Adeleke was attacked by some disenchanted members of the PDP in Ikirun sometime ago when he went to commission the Osogbo-Ikirun road of which the immediate-past Governor Gboyega Oyetola had achieved its 75 percent completion.

 

He expressed his disdain for the use of soldiers in the convoy of a governor, advising the new Army Chief of Staff to look into the anomaly of security architecture in Osun State and promptly redress the situation.

 

Lawal stated that his understanding of protocol is that if a governor is to visit a place of which a praying ground is included, it’s the duty of the advanced party of the governor and his protocol unit to make a solid preparation with reference to the security of sitting arrangement.

 

He said there was no reason why such lapses of the government protocols would not be experienced since the statutory security agents, the DSS, who were with Governor Adeleke before have not been brought back after there was an allegation that one of them was slapped by a female member of the governor’s family.

 

“The way and manner that the conventional policemen attached to the governor who are performing the statutory role of the DSS officers dress, has exposed them as heavily deficient in their strange assignment.

“We, in the APC, won’t tolerate the needless heating up of the polity and disturbance of public peace by someone who is supposed to be the state security officer of the state”, he stated.

 

 

However,The Asiwaju Musulumi of Yorubaland, Edo and Delta, Dr Khamis Olatunde Badmus has described the incident at the Osogbo Eid Playing Ground as unfortunate and avoidable.

 

He also apologised to the Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke over the misunderstanding that occurred today at the Osogbo central Eid ground, an incident which prevented the Governor from observing the Eid ul kabir 2-rakat prayer along with the muslim ummah.

 

 

Asiwaju Badmus tendered the apology in a statement issued from his media office in Osogboland on Wednesday.

 

The incident occurred over the order of protocol when a few politicians who arrived the prayer venue ahead of the Governor insisted that the immediate past senator for the Osun Central District, Dr Ajibola Basiru must shift from where he sat.

 

Asiwaju Badmus, who described the incident as both avoidable and unfortunate, pointed out that a few political jobbers in the town fueled the misunderstanding that needed not have arisen.

 

 

He said it was outrageous to say there was an assassination attempt on Governor’s life, adding that journalists and bloggers should be sure of their facts before publishing.

 

Asiwaju Musulumi commended the State Commissioner of Police, State Director of DSS and the Special Adviser on Security to the State Governor for their mature handling of the matter.

 

He cautioned that since campaigns are over and governance proper has commenced , the governor should be left alone to concentrate on administration and impactful service delivery to the people.

 

 

Dr Olatunde-Badmus stressed that it is important for the office of the protocol of the Governor to take charge of the governor’s sitting arrangement at events rather than leaving such delicate assignment in the hands of favour seeking politicians.