Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State and several leaders of the Accord political party escaped unhurt on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, after a campaign podium they were seated on suddenly collapsed during a political rally in Ijebu-Jesa, a town in Oriade Local Government Area. The incident, which was captured on video and has since gone viral on social media, caused a momentary panic among supporters who had gathered for the event ahead of the August 15 governorship election in the state.
The rally, organised by the Accord party to mobilise support for its candidates in the upcoming poll, had drawn a large crowd of supporters, party faithful and local residents. The governor, who was the special guest of honour at the event, was seated on a raised wooden platform alongside several other party leaders. A video posted on Facebook showed the podium collapsing shortly after a musician performing at the event stopped singing, at the exact moment the governor was standing up from his seat. The structure gave way under their weight, sending the occupants tumbling to the ground.
Those on the podium at the time of the incident included Deputy Governor Kola Adewusi; Pelumi Olajengbesi, spokesperson for the Imole campaign council; and other leaders of the Accord party. Witnesses described a scene of confusion as the platform buckled, but there was no stampede and the situation was quickly brought under control by security personnel and party officials. Within minutes, the governor and other leaders were helped to their feet, dusted off, and escorted to a more secure area. To the relief of the crowd, no one sustained any visible injuries.
Governor Adeleke, who is seeking re-election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was at the Accord party rally as part of a broader coalition arrangement between the PDP and Accord ahead of the August 15 election. The alliance, which has been formalised in several local government areas, is designed to consolidate opposition forces against the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Oyebamiji. The governor’s appearance at an Accord party event was therefore not unusual; it was a political strategy aimed at unseating the APC from the Osun Government House.
Speaking briefly after the incident, the governor brushed off the mishap with characteristic humour, telling supporters that even the podium could not stop the movement. “The structure tried to bring us down, but we are still standing. The enemy has tried, but we are still here. Nothing will stop the victory of the people,” Adeleke said, drawing cheers from the crowd. He later proceeded with his speech, focusing on his administration’s achievements and the need for voters to reject what he called the “politics of violence and impunity” allegedly being promoted by the opposition.
The collapse of the podium, however, drew swift reactions from the APC, which seized on the incident to mock the governor and his coalition partners. The APC campaign council in Osun released a statement describing the incident as symbolic of the “fragile and collapsing alliance” between the PDP and Accord. “A structure that cannot hold its own weight cannot govern the state. The people of Osun have seen that the Adeleke-led coalition is shaky and unreliable. We advise them to avoid a crash by voting for the tested and trusted APC,” the statement read.
The Osun State Police Command has not issued any official statement on the incident, and no investigation has been launched, as no criminal act is suspected. The command’s spokesperson, SP Abiodun Ojelabi, confirmed that no arrests were made and that the event continued peacefully after the incident. He advised political parties to ensure that campaign structures are properly constructed to prevent similar occurrences.
The incident at Ijebu-Jesa comes amid heightened political tension in Osun State, where the ruling PDP and the opposition APC have been trading accusations over violence and thuggery. Earlier in the week, Governor Adeleke had accused the APC of sponsoring armed thugs to attack his supporters and disrupt campaign activities in Ile-Ife and Osogbo. The APC has denied the allegations and accused the PDP of staging attacks to gain public sympathy. The police have arrested several suspects in connection with the violence and have promised to remain neutral in the election.
Political observers note that the August 15 governorship election is shaping up to be a fierce contest. The PDP controls the state government, while the APC is determined to reclaim the seat it lost in the 2022 election, which produced Governor Adeleke. The Accord party has entered into a strategic alliance with the PDP, but the coalition’s strength remains untested at the polling booth. The podium collapse, though a minor incident, has become a metaphor in the heated rhetoric of the campaign, with each side using it to paint the other as unstable or incompetent.
For the governor and his coalition partners, the incident was a temporary distraction. After brushing off the dust, Adeleke continued his campaign engagements, moving from Ijebu-Jesa to neighbouring towns for further rallies. His message to supporters remained unchanged: the coalition is solid, the achievements are visible, and victory is certain. But as the video of the collapsing podium continues to circulate, the opposition will not let voters forget the image of Osun’s leaders falling from a platform that could not hold them.
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