Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu-led Lagos State Government has denied its involvement with the rumored upcoming Oro festival scheduled to be observed from August 1 to 15.
The scheduled period for the festival coincides with the planned nationwide #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protest.
Gboyega Akosile, the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to Governor Sandi-Olu, on Thursday compared Oro festival to other religious activities held across Nigeria.
Akosile told The PUNCH that the state government does not interfere when other religions hold their activities, hence, it will not interfere in the schedule of Oro festival.
The governor’s aide stressed that traditional worshippers deserve the same respect and have the constitutional right to worship and conduct their lawful practices.
Akosile said, “Oro festival, like Muslim and Christian activities, is not subject to Lagos State government interference. We have no involvement in how any religious group conducts their lawful activities.
“The protesters have their rights, just like the traditional worshippers who wish to perform their activities. What is our concern in that?”
Former Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate in Lagos State in the 2023 general elections, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, earlier lambasted and accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Bola Tinubu’s government of attempting to use Oro festival in Lagos to stop the planned protest in the state.
Rhodes-Vivour said that using the ancient Oro festival to threaten #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protesters in Lagos is an insult to Yoruba traditional institution.
He said, “The campaign by APC propaganda handles to use ORO – a sacred ritual in Yoruba land – to threaten protesters is an assault on our traditional institution.”
“Casualising centuries of a hallowed ritual with such juvenile intent debases our culture and corrupts our revered institution,” he posted on his X account.
Leave a Reply