The king and his advisers dismissed the claim as baseless and an attempt to deceive the populace.
“The attention of the palace of Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Sen. Lekan Balogun, Alli Okunmade II has been drawn to the claim of endorsement of the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, by the monarch and his members of Advisory Council,” Olubadan said.
You may recall that on the last Saturday of this month, the LP presidential candidate led his campaign team to pay a courtesy visit to Olubadan, where some members of his Advisory Council joined them. The monarch, Olubadan, lives in the Alarere area of Ibadan.
Balogun of Ibadanland, his Otun, Osi, Ashipa, Osi, and Ekerin Olubadan (High Chiefs Owolabi Olakulehin, Tajudeen Ajibola, Lateef Gbadamosi Adebimpe, Kola Adegbola, Eddy Oyewole, and Hamidu Ajibade) were present, along with the other High Chiefs. High Chief Ajibola gave his thoughts on Peter Obi’s campaign speech, while High Chief Oyewole prayed for him and his aspirations.
Nonetheless, High Chief Oyewole was shown praying for the success of the LP at the polls in the viral video being widely circulated by Obi’s handlers.
“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.
“How could anybody have in his or most expansive imagination assumed that a presidential candidate of any political party would receive an open endorsement from a place like the palace of Olubadan? That must be a crude joke carried too far. It is preposterous.
“While discountenancing the claim of endorsement by the Olubadan Advisory Council, our politicians are counselled to leave the palace out of their game. The campaign is just starting, and the visits to the palaces are part of the candidates’ itinerary; how would they feel should the gates of palaces be locked against them?
“For the umpteenth time, let it be emphasized that Olubadan and his cabinet members do not and cannot belong to any political party, and they would never express a preference for any candidate or political party in the public no matter the degree of temptation. The palace of Olubadan belongs to all, just as the occupier of the exalted stool remains the father of all.
“In the meantime, I commend my professional colleagues and their respective media houses, who saw the oddity in such a claim and sought further clarifications following their putting the report in abeyance.
“I also appeal to the social media handlers to always think twice before rushing out with report as the season we are in presently does not call for undue sensationalism,” the monarch added.
