Akinwande Soji-Ojo
With few hours to the governorship election in Oyo State, Olubadan-in-Council has declared that it has no anointed candidate among all the people jostling to be the governor of the pacesetter state.
The position of the council was contrary to media reports that broke earlier in the day, which claimed that Governor Seyi Makinde of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who is seeking reelection for another term in office had received the endorsement of the traditional heads.
Debunking the reports on behalf of the council, the Ekerin Olubadan, High Chief Hamidu Ajibade, said there was nothing like endorsement, stressing that “the governor actually invited us to a meeting in his Ikolaba residence which we attended as traditional heads.”
“At the meeting, he told us that he would be contesting on Saturday and sought for our support and prayers. There and then we told him that God would grant him his heart desires. We did not do or say any other thing than offering prayers for him, which we are expected to do as elders and custodians of our tradition and culture.
“I blame the media for their wrong interpretation and a misplaced one for that matter, because by our positions, we are fathers of all and we are not expected to have favourite among our various children contesting for the same position.
“If you look at the gubernatorial candidates in the race in the state, I don’t think we would have less than 98 per cent of them as sons of Ibadan land. So, what kind of a father would choose just one and neglect others?
“What’s more, our revered father, the Olubadan of Ibadan land, Oba Lekan Balogun, who heads the council and said to have endorsed the governor was not even in the know of the meeting, talk less of being part of it. So, how would the head of a council be absent at a meeting where such a vital pronouncement would be made?
“The general public is by this reaction informed to discountenance the earlier reports as nothing but the inner wish of the writer and promoter and which remains at variance with our exalted positions as fathers of all. We have no anointed candidate among the gubernatorial candidates contesting for the seat in Oyo State come Saturday this week,” High Chief Ajibade said.
