The Lagos state governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, popularly known as GRV has reacted to reports of Oro traditional festival rites imposed by some traditional rulers in some parts of Lagos state ahead of this Saturday’s guber polls.
For instance, Rhodes-Vivour said the scheduled traditional rites declared by the traditional ruler of Ikate land, Oba Saheed Elegushi, in the Eti Osa Local Government Area of Lagos state is creating a bad perception of leadership for traditional fathers in the state.
According to him, the Oro festival is politically motivated at this time and an attempt to disenfranchise electorate in the forthcoming March 18 governorship election.
The New Diplomat reports that Oro festival is a traditional event celebrated by towns and settlements of Yoruba origin. It is a traditional rite that is patriarchal in nature, as participation is only open to adult males, while females, children and non-initiates are barred.
During the festival Oro, females, children and non-initiates are warned to stay indoors, making political actors to express concerns that it could scare voters away from the polls if not carefully handled.
In his words, “That gives the perception that they’re trying to disenfranchise a number of voters. Before I came in here I got a report from Oba Elegusi that he has either denied that these Oro are going to happen, or, you know… it’s not clear, it’s not clear. So, I encourage everybody to come out and vote, to not be intimidated and I encourage our traditional rulers to actually be fathers to all. This perception is very negative. And this is why people are pushing and I will push for an institution where our royal fathers will not be selected by politicians. Right. They will only be selected by their declarations and by traditional houses who would push the fathers forward so that they can always be in a position to say truth to power.”
