Some members of the Accord Party sustained varying degrees of injuries on Wednesday after a podium collapsed during a political campaign event attended by Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, his sister, Chief Modupe Adeleke-Sani, and the Chief of Staff, Kazeem Akinleye.
The incident occurred during the inauguration of the governor’s re-election canvassers held at Ijebu-Jesa in Ori-Ade Local Government Area of Osun State, forcing the governor’s security aides to evacuate him swiftly to safety.
A video of the incident, which has since gone viral on social media, captured the moment Governor Adeleke and several members of his entourage were standing on the podium shortly before it suddenly caved in.
Among those on the stage at the time of the collapse were the spokesperson for the governor’s re-election campaign council, Barrister Pelumi Olajengbesi, party supporters, officials, and security operatives.
Multiple sources said that when the Master of Ceremony formally announced the presence of Governor Adeleke, the crowd erupted in cheers as he rose from his seat on the stage and moved forward to acknowledge the supporters.
After greeting the crowd, Adeleke returned to his seat, but as he was about to settle down, the structure suddenly gave way, causing the governor and several others on the stage to fall.
Security operatives and protocol officers immediately assisted Adeleke out of the collapsed platform and moved him to the second stage where Fuji musician, Taye Currency, was performing
Eyewitnesses said the podium collapsed due to overcrowding as more supporters and party faithful continued to mount the stage during the event.
Several party members reportedly sustained injuries in the incident, while security personnel swiftly evacuated Governor Adeleke, his sister, and the Chief of Staff from the scene without harm.
The unexpected development forced an abrupt end to the campaign event as attendees hurriedly dispersed from the venue.
As of the time of filing this report, efforts to ascertain the condition of some of the injured party members and other officials involved in the incident were unsuccessful.
