Obi’s Campaign DG Denies Issuing Press Release On Courtesy Visit To Oba Of Lagos

The Director General (DG) of Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), Akin Osuntokun, has denied issuing a press release on courtesy visit to the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu.

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In a statement on Monday, Osuntokun said that the purported titled “Oba of Lagos : LP courtesy Visit,” claimed, among other things that “We informed Oba of Lagos that Peter Obi wanted to come and pay homage to him before our rally in Lagos but Oba said that we should not come”. The fictitious release further claimed that Oba’s reason for not wanting to meet with Peter Obi was that “Oba is not interested in seeing another presidential candidate except Bola Tinubu”.

The DG noted that he never had such a conversation with the Oba of Lagos or any of his representative, and urged the general public to disregard the release.

“I wish to clearly state that the fictitious release did not emanate from me, and I never had such a conversation with the revered Oba of Lagos or any of his representatives. Please disregard the release at whatever it represents. Henceforth, please disregard any other release that does not originate from our campaigns official communication channels.

“May I once again assure Nigerians that we will continue to run a campaign that is devoid of calumny, and by the grace of God we shall overcome,” Osuntokun said.

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, who paid courtesy visit to traditional rulers in virtually all the states in the country before embarking on his rallies, did not pay the Lagos monarch visit. An action seen by many as being disrespectful to the Oba.

However, in an interview on Arise TV on Monday, the chairperson of the Labour Party in Lagos State, Dayo Ekong, said that Obi made attempt to pay the traditional ruler visit, but his effort proved abortive.

“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.

” You know normally, if he is going to the palace there should have been a pre arrangement informing the Oba that he is on his way. In a situation whereby they say, the Oba is not available, he (Obi) will not go to an empty palace.”

Ekong stated:”He won’t go to an empty palace to see the Oba. The first thing we should know is that Mr Obi respects the culture and that is what he has been doing everywhere.

“This is the 37th rally, there is no way Obi would have neglected who we term our traditional ruler, the head in Lagos State and ignore him.”