Oba Saheed Ademola (Kusenla III), the traditional ruler of the Ikate-Elegushi Kingdom in Lagos, Nigeria has declared a three-day Oro festival including on March 18, 2023, spreading fear among women and non-indigenes who plan to participate in governorship and state assembly elections.
In an announcement circulated to residents, Oba Elegushi said there would be a restriction of movement to perform the Oro rite in the community from Wednesday to Saturday from from midnight to 5:30 a.m.
Residents have claimed that the festival has a political undertone aimed at disenfranchising women and non-indigene voters whom they claim make up for a large population of residents in the area.
The Oro Festival which is believed to have a fetish colouration has often caused a scare among non-indigenes and especially women who are not allowed by tradition to see the festival real time.
Chronicle NG reports that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of the ruling All Progressives Congress is being challenged by Abdulazeez Adediran of the Peoples Democratic Party and Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of the Labour Party amongst others.
Temitope Oyefeso, the special assistant on media affairs to the Ikate Kingdom’s monarch, confirmed that an Oro rite is happening in the Ikate-Elegushi Kingdom.
“Yes, there is an Oro rite happening in the Ikate kingdom. So, the Elegushi community council decided that residents and visitors should be in their houses from midnight to morning on Wednesday to Saturday,” he told a Nigerian blog, Peoples Gazette.
Oyefeso dismissed claims that it will impact the governorship polls, noting that, “We are not saying people should sit at home during the day like they have in other places.”
“Elections are held during the day, and by morning we will open the roads for people to come. It is a traditional rite. But unfortunately, it has come at this time. It is an annual event, and this is not the first time. We are not disrupting any process,” he said.
He assured non-indigenes registered to vote in Elegushi that they will partake in the voting process, reiterating that, “they will not leave the house to vote by 2:00 a.m., so they ought to be in their house.”
“Voting starts by 8:00 a.m., and there is a police curfew for midnight on election day. We are not doing anything different from what the police have done. It will just commence two days earlier,” he said.
“People should stop speculating rumours or being mischievous about Oro rites; it is not interfering with the process of the election. Residents can move about from morning till 11:30 p.m.”
The ruling APC in Lagos lost to the Labour Party during the February 25 presidential election. In Eti-Osa local government area, Labour Party garnered 42,388 votes while APC got 15,317 votes.
Read the Oro Festival announcement by Oba Elegushi below:
PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT!
HRM. ALAYELUWA OBA SAHEED ADEMOLA ELEGUSHI, KUSENLAIII, ELEGUSHI OF IKATE KINGDOM AND ENVIRON.
WISH TO ANNOUNCE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THE ORO RITE WILL HOLD IN THE IKATE KINGDOM AND ITS ENVIRONS FROM TODAY WEDNESDAY 15TH MARCH 2023 TO SATURDAY 18TH MARCH 2023. (3DAYS)
RESIDENCE AND PASSERSBY ARE WARNED TO STAY INDOORS OR STAY OFF THE KINGDOM BEFORE MIDNIGHT THAT THE RITE WILL COMMENCE TO 5:30 a.m. ON EACH DAY.
THIS EXERCISE IS FOR THE GOOD OF ALL, PLEASE LET US COOPERATE AND COMPLY WITH THIS ANNOUNCEMENT REGARDLESS OF YOUR STATUS. HIS ROYAL MAJESTY REGRETS ANY INCONVENIENCE.
ONILU ONI JE KI ILU O TU OLORUN ELEDUMARE A GBA IWURE WA. ASE O…
