There was chaos at the Osogbo Eid prayer ground on Wednesday where Osun State governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke intended to perform eid prayer.
Muslim faithful in Osogbo, the state capital, had gathered at Eid prayer ground for the supplication.
Pandemonium started when a protocol officer informed Basiru that the front row where he was sitting was reserved for the governor.
The former senate spokesperson was said to have changed his seat to another section of the front row — a development that the protocol again kicked against.
Some moments later, the Osun governor arrived at the venue of the Eid prayer ground with some of his aides.
After the arrival of the governor, the protocol again insisted that the former senate spokesperson vacate the front row that was reserved for Adeleke.
The development created a scene at the prayer ground as some supporters of the former senator resisted the move.
The situation became rancorous as some Muslim leaders quickly intervened to douse the tension so that the prayer for the Eid-el-Kabir festival could commence.
At that point, Governor Adeleke and his entourage left the prayer ground angrily and couldn’t participate in the religious event.
When contacted, the spokesperson of Governor Adeleke, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, who confirmed the incident, however, claimed that the governor escaped assassination attempt at the eid prayer ground.
The governor called for calm in the state.
In a statement by Olawale Rasheed, the governor’s spokesperson, Adeleke said the incident was an assassination attempt on his life.
Adeleke has, however, ordered the commissioner of police in the state to arrest the former senator.
“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 governor 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.”
Adeleke said he was shocked with the role played by Basiru “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”.
However, the man in the eye of the storm, Senator Ajibola Basiru has stated that he never saw the governor or his protocol team at the Eid prayer ground.
Reacting to the incident, Basiru explained there was no indication any seat was reserved for the Governor.
In his words: “Basiru said Adeleke’s supporters made the situation worse with their “overzealous attitude” at the praying ground.
Basiru said Adeleke’s protocol with no official title approached him to vacate his seat.
“By tradition, there is a way the sitting arrangement of the Muslim community leaders and the government is done at the Eid,” Basiru said.
“The Muslim community leaders are under the auspices of Asiwaju of Musulumi of Yoruba land. So, we had gone there for arrangement of seat but shockingly before our arrival today, one zealot of the government who doesn’t have official title, named Muniru Raji, had already put someone in the place we arranged to seat. When we got there, we told them that they should let us sit on our mat, otherwise they should let us remove our mat.
“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 is no place reserved for anybody in the mosque. He now told me that the place was meant for the governor, so I inquired if he is the protocol of the governor because I did not see any protocol or advance party of the governor. No security personnel where I sat, no indication that where I sat was for the governor.
Raji insulted me and in the process, worshipers surrounded me to prevent him from further assaulting me at the praying ground. I don’t know whether the governor came to the Eid at all because I was surrounded by people. I later stood up and did my prayers.”
Basiru said he was called by the commissioner of police. But after he explained his side of the story, he was allowed to continue the celebration.
“I don’t have a problem with the governor of Osun state and there were no indications that where I sat was reserved for the governor,” he said.
Basiru maintained that the altercation at the Eid prayer ground was the handiwork of overzealous supporters of the governor who probably had issues to settle with him.
The Asiwaju Musulumi of Yorubaland, Edo and Delta, Dr Khamis Olatunde Badmus has apologized to the governor following the incident.
He described attack on Adeleke as an unfortunate incident which would have been avoided.
Badmus, who tendered the apology in a statement issued from his media office in Osogbo on Wednesday, pointed out that a few political jobbers in the town fueled the misunderstanding.
“The incident was both avoidable and unfortunate.
“It was outrageous to say there was an assassination attempt on the Governor’s life.
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.
“I commend 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.
“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,” Badmus stated.
