THE Lagos State Chairperson of the Labour Party (LP), Dayo Ekong, has explained why the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, did not visit the Oba of Lagos during his mega rally in the state on Saturday.
Obi’s failure to visit the monarch sparked criticism from some quarters on the social media.
However, in an interview on Arise TV, on Monday, February 13, Ekong explained that Obi normally makes it a point to visit traditional rulers before embarking on his campaigns, but in the case of Lagos, he was unable to do so.
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According to her, the former Anambra State governor attempted to pay the king a courtesy visit but he did not succeed.
“People say what they don’t know. If you have been following the campaign train of Mr Obi, he goes to the royal fathers to pay homage.
“Obi made an attempt to see the Oba of Lagos but we were not able to see the Oba of Lagos,” she said.
When asked if Obi was turned away after getting to the palace, Ekong said that they did not even make it to the palace.
Ekong explained that there would normally have been a pre-arrangement informing the king of Obi’s visit and that he would not go to an empty palace.
She further explained that Obi sent a letter to the royal father, but there was no positive response.
The LP Lagos chairperson insisted that Obi respects cultural and traditional institutions, adding that the presidential candidate did not ignore the Oba of Lagos.
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