Saheed Ademola (Kusenla III), the traditional monarch of the Ikate-Elegushi Kingdom, has announced a three-day Oro rite from midnight to 5:30 a.m. on Saturday, the day of the gubernatorial and state legislature elections.
In a note to the citizens of Ikate-Elegushi, the king declared that there would be restrictions on travel in the community from Wednesday to Saturday in order to complete the Oro rite.
Temitope Oyefeso, the special assistant to the Ikate-Elegushi monarch for media relations, revealed that an Oro ceremony is taking place in the Ikate-Elegushi Kingdom.
“Indeed, an Oro ritual is taking place in the realm of Ikate. Mr. Oyefeso informed People’s Gazette that the Elegushi community council ruled that residents and guests must remain in their homes from midnight to dawn on Wednesday through Saturday.
Mr. Oyefeso refuted the claim that it will interfere with Saturday’s election operations by stating, “We are not suggesting that people stay home during the day as they do in other locations.”
He continued, “Elections are held during the day, and the highways will be open to the public by morning. This is a traditional ceremony. Nevertheless, it has unhappily arrived at this moment. It occurs annually, and this is not the first occasion. We are not interfering with any processes.”
According to him, the Oro ritual will provide harmony to the community, and it is practised in all of Lagos’s villages.
Non-natives registered to vote in Elegushi will participate in the voting process, he explained, emphasising that “they will not leave the house to vote by 2:00 a.m., therefore they should be in their homes.”
“Voting begins at 8:00 a.m., and there is a midnight curfew on election day. We do not deviate in any way from what the cops have done. It will simply begin two days early,” revealed the monarch’s spokesman. “People should stop guessing and spreading rumours about Oro rituals; it does not interfere with the election process. Residents are permitted to move about from dawn until 11:30 p.m.
The Gazette contacted the police spokesman in Lagos, Benjamin Hundeyin, for comment on the matter.
“Do you wish to discuss rumours, or do you wish to discuss the facts? I am not engaging in hearsay. People are allowed to express themselves however they choose. Mr. Hundeyin stated, “I will refrain from speculating.”