The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Lekan Balogun, Alli Okunmade II and members of his advisory council have described as false and self-concocted one to mislead the general public the claim of endorsement of the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi
It would be recalled that the LP presidential candidate led his campaign team to pay a courtesy visit on Olubadan last Saturday and some of the members of his advisory council joined to receive Obi at the Alarere residence of the monarch. Among the chiefs in council who joined the monarch to receive Obi were Tajudeen Ajibola and Eddy Oyewole.
In a video being circulated by Obi’s handlers, Oyewole was seen praying for the success of the party at the polls and one cannot but wonder how did that become an endorsement or are Peter Obi’s sympathisers looking forward to the palace cursing him? God forbid, a statement from the palace on Tuesday, queried.
The statement signed by the personal assistant (media) to the Olubadan, Oladele Ogunsola, further said “the palace could have ignored the report and dismissed it with a wave of hand, but with the torrents of inquiries by some of our credible media houses seeking clarification before publishing and the need to counter social media trending of the foul report without professional touch, this reaction becomes imperative.
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“While discountenancing the claim of endorsement by the Olubadan Advisory Council, our politicians are counselled to please leave the palace out of their game. The campaign is just starting and visits to palaces are part of the itinerary of the candidates and how would they feel should the gates of palaces be locked against them?
“For the umpteenth time, let it be emphasised that Olubadan and his cabinet members do not and cannot belong to any political party and they would never express preference for any candidate or political party in the public no matter the degree of temptation,” the palace said.
