The Olu of Warri, His Majesty, Ogiame Atuwatse III has denied ever endorsing the candidature of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, one of the presidential hopefuls on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
A statement titled: “Tinubu, Most Qualified Person to Lead Nigeria – A Rebuttal”, signed by Mr Oriiz U. Onuwaje, Head, Back Office Operations, Office of
Ogiame Atuwatse III dated 15th of April, 2022, says the traditional ruler has no political affiliation or preferred political candidate for any office in the forthcoming 2023 be it at the regional, sub-national or national level.
The rebuttal further states that Ogiame is a father figure to all and has no personal favourite or special interests in any candidate or political party vying for any office in the forthcoming elections one way or another and will therefore not endorse or discredit any candidate to the detriment or advantage of others.
“The headlines credited to Ogiame in the referenced quote have been taken out of context and reworked to suit a specific narrative. They can not be further from the truth. For an unclear motive, the writer contravenes the palace’s avowed role of non-partisanship.
“Ogiame is a father figure to all who have a genuine interest in advancing the course of development of our nation. Ogiame is duty-bound to receive and proffer advice and blessings to all who seek his audience and counsel.
“Therefore, His Majesty, Ogiame Atuwatse III – the Olu of Warri is using this medium to make this important clarification for the avoidance of doubt and further requesting that in the future, any queries and clarifications on Palace communications should be directed to the Palace Media Office.