There was a moment of panic in Osun State on Wednesday after a podium collapsed during a political rally in Ijebu-Jesa, Obokun Local Government Area of the state.
Governor Ademola Adeleke, Deputy Governor Kola Adewusi, Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Adewale Egbedun, and other top government officials were among those seated on the platform when the incident occurred.
A video from the event showed musical performances ongoing before the programme anchor concluded the session and was about to introduce the next activity when the structure suddenly gave way.
The collapse briefly disrupted the event as security personnel and aides rushed to evacuate those trapped in the rubble.
A source present at the rally said the incident happened during the inauguration of Imole canvassers for the Obokun/Oriade Federal Constituency.
According to the source, the large crowd at the venue may have contributed to the collapse of the structure.
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“The governor and some members of his cabinet were on the section of the podium that collapsed. Fortunately, nobody was injured, and the event later continued,” the source said.
Despite the scare, normalcy was restored shortly after the incident, with the governor remaining at the venue and later addressing supporters.
Reacting to the development, the Deputy Spokesperson to the Governor, Oladele Bamiji, dismissed reports suggesting the incident was serious, insisting that no casualties or injuries were recorded.
“The programme continued smoothly after the incident. There were no injuries and no fatality. The governor later attended another official engagement in Odo-Otin Local Government Area,” Bamiji stated.
The rally eventually resumed after the affected officials were safely evacuated, bringing relief to supporters who had feared the worst when the podium suddenly collapsed.
