Former Senate spokesman, Senator Ajibola Basiru; and the spokesman for Governor Ademola Adeleke, Olawale Rasheed, traded blame over a commotion on seat arrangement at a prayer ground located at Oke-Baale area in Osogbo, the Osun State capital.

Basiru and Rasheed were guests on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday hours after the disturbance at the prayer ground as officials of the state government clashed which led to claims of alleged assassination attempts on the life of Governor Ademola Adeleke from his camp

Thugs Rough Handled Me — Basiru

Basiru claimed some thugs rough-handled him and ordered him to vacate where he was positioned for the Eid prayers.

“The question I asked is whether thugs who harassed me, removed my turban and rough-handled me were people who are protocol officers trying to secure a seat for Mr Governor?” Basiru queried.

The former lawmaker also said he did not see any seat reserved for the governor at the prayer ground.

However, Adeleke’s spokesman, who was also a guest on our programme alongside Basiru, debunked the allegation by the senator.

Rasheed described Basiru’s claims as untrue, saying the former lawmaker “took over” the seat reserved for the governor.

He said, “The governor was live at the Eid ground today (Wednesday).

“Secondly, it was wrong and false to say there were no seat or protocol officers ahead, like an advanced team. We had a red carpet that was actually laid for the governor. We had three of our protocol officers who were there.

“The senator was wrong to say that there was no advanced party; there was an advanced party, and the place was marked.”

The governor’s aide said whilst the commotion on the seat arrangement was ongoing after Basiru was told to vacate the space for Adeleke and he resisted, some strange-looking and armed people brought in three buses and encircled the governor.

We Entered A Trap — Osun Gov’s Aide

Rasheed said the enemies of the governor set a trap for him at the Eid ground.

“We noticed when we entered, it was like we entered into a trap. We noticed armed, strange-looking guys positioned all over strategic positions within the Eid ground,” he said.

“When we saw that, we thought they were security people but by the time we entered and we were right close to the front of where we were supposed to pray, we noticed that these people were armed. While we were watching over that, it was at that point we noticed the commotion.

“We quickly sent the governor home, the security people said no, let us go back to the car to secure the governor. By the time we came out again, those strange-looking people were encircling where the governor was staying.”

Rasheed said the governor’s security details swiftly ferried their principal away from the prayer ground, adding that the incident was political and the police are looking into the matter.

I Was Insulted — Senator

However, the senator said he did not see any armed strange-looking fellows at the Eid ground and the governor was not in any way threatened. Basiru also said that there was nothing personal and political with what happened on Wednesday.

“I don’t have any personal problem with Governor Adeleke,” Basiru stated, saying there was no assassination attempt on the governor.

The senator said he would have vacated the contested space for the governor but a purported state official who approached him to vacate the so-called seat reserved for Adeleke was a thug who insulted him.

Over To The Police

Both Rasheed and Basiru have reported their sides of what happened at the office of the Commissioner of Police in Osun State.

“The police came in, they wanted to actually question the senator because he is the one that took over the space where the governor was supposed to stay, which actually started the whole commotion,” the governor’s aide stated.

“It is false to say that the Eid ground was locked up. It is not true, people were inside (and) they came out. The reality is (that) God saved our governor today and we had a thanksgiving event at the country home where we thanked God for saving the life of our governor.”

Basiru, who represented Osun Central Senatorial District on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in the 9th National Assembly lost his re-election bid on February 25, 2023. Basiru lost to the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Fadeyi Olubiyi.

Adeleke, a PDP powerbroker in Osun State, trounced the incumbent governor and APC’s Gboyega Oyetola in the July 16, 2022 election. Oyetola challenged Adeleke up to the Supreme Court but lost. (Channels TV)

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