Several members of the Accord Party sustained varying degrees of injury on Wednesday following the collapse of a podium during a 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 at Ijebu-Jesa in Ori-Ade Local Government Area of Osun State.
A video of the incident, which has since circulated widely on social media, captured the moment Governor Adeleke and members of his entourage were standing on the platform shortly before it gave way. Also present on the stage were the spokesperson for the governor’s re-election campaign council, Barrister Pelumi Olajengbesi, party supporters, officials, and security personnel.
Eyewitness accounts indicate that the collapse was caused by overcrowding, as increasing numbers of supporters and party members continued to mount the podium during the event.
Several party members reportedly suffered injuries in the ensuing chaos. However, Governor Adeleke, Chief Modupe Adeleke-Sani, and Mr Akinleye were safely evacuated from the scene by security operatives and did not appear to sustain any injuries.
The unexpected incident brought the event to an abrupt end, with attendees dispersing from the venue shortly afterwards.
As of the time of filing this report, efforts to ascertain the condition of the injured party members, as well as obtain official comments regarding the welfare of those involved, had not yielded any response.
The incident has since generated considerable discussion online, with many observers expressing concern over safety arrangements and crowd management at political gatherings.
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