In a recent incident at the Eid prayer ground in Osogbo, Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, was attacked. The attack has been described as an unfortunate incident that could have been avoided. Asiwaju Musulumi of Yorubaland, Edo, and Delta, Dr. Khamis Olatunde Badmus, has expressed his regret over the incident and issued an apology to Governor Adeleke.
The apology was contained in a statement released by Badmus from his media office in Osogbo on Wednesday. He attributed the misunderstanding that occurred at the Osogbo central Eid ground to the actions of a few political opportunists in the town.
“The incident was both avoidable and unfortunate,” Badmus stated. He went on to refute the claims of an alleged assassination attempt on the Governor’s life, emphasizing that such claims were outrageous. Badmus stressed the need for the Governor to be left alone to focus on governance and delivering impactful services to the people, now that campaigns are over.
Badmus commended the State Commissioner of Police, the State Director of the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Special Adviser on Security to the State Governor for their mature handling of the matter. He also advised that the office of the Governor’s protocol should take charge of the Governor’s sitting arrangement at events, rather than leaving it in the hands of politicians seeking personal gain.
Meanwhile, Senator Ajibola Basiru, who was involved in the altercation, has claimed that he did not see the Governor or his protocol team at the prayer ground. Basiru explained that there was no indication of any reserved seat for the Governor. He recounted how he was insulted by Muniru Raji and was subsequently surrounded by worshipers to prevent any physical assault.
Basiru stated, “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.”
After the prayer, Basiru mentioned that he was approached by a policeman who informed him that the Commissioner of Police wanted to see him. Basiru, however, insisted on meeting the Commissioner together with Muslim community leaders. He further explained that they resisted attempts to forcibly remove him from his car, questioning whether there was a warrant for his arrest. Basiru alleged that the embarrassing situation was caused by overzealous supporters of the Governor.
Despite the altercation, Basiru maintained that he does not have any issues with Governor Ademola Adeleke and suggested that the incident at the Eid prayer ground was instigated by individuals who perhaps had personal grudges against him.
