• Says Oro the festival does not reduce the chances of the Labor Party winning the Lagos governorship election
The governorship candidate of the Labor Party, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour (GRV), has said the commencement of the Oro festival in Lagos part will not affect his chances of winning the governorship election on Saturday.
There are some media reports that Oba Elegushi of Ikate and Oba of Ijegun have announced that the Oro cult festival will start from Thursday and end on Saturday.
Rhodes-Vivour stressed that the festival should not be a means of preventing voters from exercising their rights.
“Traditional governments know best not to hold any festival that will alienate voters,” he said in a video post shared on Wednesday.
In traditional Yoruba festivals, women, visitors, and non-cult members are not allowed to witness the festival, and there is usually a curfew.
GRV has been tipped by many analysts to defeat the incumbent Babajide Sanwo-Olu from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
His Labor Party won the presidential election in the state on February 25 despite intimidation by supporters of the APC presidential candidate.
The Labor Party gubernatorial candidate insists that the Oro festival is not used to intimidate those who go out to vote, especially in areas where the LP won during the presidential election.
The Labor Party defeated the APC in Eti-Osa and Alimosho local councils where the festival is rumored to take place.
GRV said: “We will come out in full force and assert that [there will not be] any form of intimidation or harassment on Saturday, and our votes will be counted.