There was confusion at the Osogbo Eid praying-ground, yesterday, following arguments over a seat reserved for the Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke.

It was gathered that the immediate past spokesperson for the Senate, Ajibola Basiru, had arrived at the praying-ground at Oke-Baale area in Osogbo and sat at the position reserved for the governor.

It was learnt that while waiting for the prayers to commence, some people believed to be governor’s aides informed the former Senator that he was occupying the spot reserved for Adeleke and told him to move to the second row.

A clash ensued between Basiru and some aides of the governor after the former lawmaker allegedly refused to leave the spot. When Adeleke was ushered into the venue, he could not access the spot reserved for him, as the disagreement was still raging. The governor and his entourage left the ground without participating in the prayers.

However, after the prayer session, police operatives blocked the gate of the praying-ground, arrested Basiru and took him to the office of the Commissioner of Police. It was gathered that after being quizzed, Basiru was released.

Meanwhile, Adeleke, who alleged that some prominent members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state attempted to assassinate him, said he had ordered the law enforcement agencies to arrest those behind the incident.

The governor, in a statement by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, appealed for calm, saying he escaped an assassination attempt at the praying-ground slated for this year’s Eid-el-Kabir celebration.

REACTING, Basiru, who stated that the state police boss invited him over the uproar, accused Adeleke of using thugs as aides, adding that a man who asked him to vacate the spot reserved for the governor did not approach him in the right manner.

He said he did not see any advanced party of the governor or any security operative at the sitting arena as at the time he came to the premises.

“I just want to sound a note of caution to the governor that he should not allow non-state actors to take over his protocols. I have served as commissioner in this state for two terms and I served in the Nigerian Senate, so, I know how protocols are observed at events. Nobody can say I am not a dignitary at that event. So, I want to implore the governor of Osun State to take charge of his government and should use proper officials and not touts to organise his activities,” he said.