By Seyi Odewale
A mild drama yesterday occurred in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, between aides of Osun State governor, Ademola Adeleke, and an ex-spokesperson of the Senate, Senator Ajibola Basiru, over the sitting arrangement at the Eid praying ground.
Ajibola, it was learnt, had arrived earlier at the praying ground alongside some prominent Osogbo indigenes for the Eid-el Kabir prayers waiting for the prayers to commence when some people believed to be Governor Adeleke’s aides informed him that he was occupying the spot reserved for the governor and was asked to leave and move to the second row.
Adeleke had not arrived at the premises when Ajibola was being asked to vacate the spot he was sitting on the praying ground.
It was gathered that after some disagreements, Ajibola moved from where he earlier sat.
However, the governor, who on arrival was ushered into the praying ground by Asiwaju Musulumi of Yorubaland, Edo, and Delta states, Dr Tunde Badmus, could not proceed to the front row as the disagreement arising from moving Ajibola from the front row was still being resolved.
This reportedly made the governor and his entourage leave the praying ground and was seen being driven out of the area before the prayers started.
The entrance to the prayer ground was reportedly locked by the Police after the prayers ended, following claims that an order had come for Ajibola’s arrest. The entrance was later opened, and Muslim faithful were later allowed to leave the premises.
The former senate spokesman was later accused by aides of the governor of attempting to assassinate the governor, but Ajibola, who spoke on a national television programme yesterday, denied the allegation and asked the governor to be mindful of those he uses as aides.
In a reaction, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Adeleke, Olawale Rasheed on the same programme, punctured Ajibola’s claim, saying everything around the Eid praying ground yesterday suggested a planned attempt to undermine the governor and possibly endanger his life as some armed strangers were seen at the praying ground whose looks and mission they could comprehend.
According to Rasheed, Senator Ajibola was sitting on the spot designated for the governor and when he was asked to vacate the place, the senator refused, which led to some arguments, adding that when the governor’s security details realised that the environment was not friendly enough and with some strange faces bearing arms trying to encircle the governor, the governor had to leave the scene.
But Ajibola refuted the claim of attempted assassination made by Rasheed, saying he never set his eyes on the governor at the praying ground. According to him, it was a man he described as a political irritant, who came to ask him to leave the spot he was sitting and from all he knew about the fellow, he could not have been an aide of the governor.
He said there was no advance party of the governor, let alone his protocol officers to prepare where the governor was to sit, adding that it was unthinkable for someone to allege that he masterminded an attempted assassination on the governor when he (Ajibola) came to the Eid praying ground in the company of some prominent personalities in the state.
He added that as a two-time commissioner and a distinguished senator from the state, he could not be said to be an ordinary person in the state which he had contributed in no small measure to its growth and development.
He said he was invited by the Commissioner of Police in the state to hear his side of the story, but he did not write a statement as earlier rumoured. He advised the governor to be mindful of those he engages as aides as they could make or mar his reputation and administration.
