Details on why Peter Obi didn’t visit Oba of Lagos emerge

Dayo Ekong, the chairperson of the Labour Party (LP) in Lagos State, has explained why the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, did not visit the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, during his massive rally in the state on Saturday.

In other states, Mr. Obi always made it a point to start his campaigns by visiting traditional rulers. In Lagos, however, he started at the Alaba International Market, which is mostly made up of traders from the South-East region of the country.

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Later, he went to Tafawa Balewa Square, where a campaign event that looked like a carnival was held. Many of his supporters and party members were there.

Many people have called Mr. Obi’s actions rude, but Mrs. Ekong said in an interview on Arise TV on Monday that the LP presidential candidate tried to pay a courtesy visit to the most prominent traditional rulers but ran into a brick wall.

“People say things they don’t know,” she said. If you have been following Mr. Obi’s campaign train, you know that he pays respects to the royal fathers. Mr. Obi tried to see the Oba of Lagos, but he was not able to do so.

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She said, “No, we didn’t get to the palace. You should know that if he was going to the palace, there should have been a plan in place to let the Oba know. If they say that the Oba is not available, Obi will not go to an empty palace.”

Mrs. Ekong mentioned that Mr. Obi had written to the Oba, but since he hadn’t received a response, he wouldn’t go to an empty palace.

“He won’t go to a palace without the Oba to see him. The first thing we should know is that Mr. Obi respects the culture. He has been doing this everywhere he has been.

“This is the 37th rally, and there’s no way Obi would have forgotten about the man we call the head of Lagos State and our traditional ruler,” she said.