Oba Elegushi Fixes Oro Cult Ritual On Election day, Warns Non-Indigenes To Respect Tradition

The traditional ruler of the Ikate-Elegushi Kingdom in Lagos State, Saheed Ademola has fixed Oro festival on election day.

It was gathered that the monarch declared a three-day Oro rite on non-indigenes and women from midnight to 5:30 a.m., including on Saturday’s governorship and state assembly election day.

In a memo issued to the residents of Ikate-Elegushi, the monarch announced that there would be a restriction of movement to perform the Oro rite in the community from Wednesday to Saturday.

Temitope Oyefeso, the special assistant on media affairs to the Ikate Kingdom’s monarch, confirmed that an Oro rite is happening in the Ikate-Elegushi Kingdom.

“Yes, there is an Oro rite happening in the Ikate kingdom. So, the Elegushi community council decided that residents and visitors should be in their houses from midnight to morning on Wednesday to Saturday,” Mr Oyefeso told Peoples Gazette.

Mr Oyefeso debunked the allegation that it will affect election activities on Saturday, declaring, “We are not saying people should sit at home during the day like they have in other places.”

He added, “Elections are held during the day, and by morning we will open the roads for people to come. It is a traditional rite. But unfortunately, it has come at this time. It is an annual event, and this is not the first time. We are not disrupting any process.”

According to him, the Oro rite will bring peace to the community, adding that it happens in all communities within Lagos.

He explained that non-indigenes registered to vote in Elegushi will partake in the voting process, reiterating that “they will not leave the house to vote by 2:00 a.m., so they ought to be in their house.”

“Voting starts by 8:00 a.m., and there is a police curfew for midnight on election day. We are not doing anything different from what the police have done. It will just commence two days earlier,” the monarch’s spokesman explained.

“People should stop speculating rumours or being mischievous about Oro rites; it is not interfering with the process of the election. Residents can move about from morning till 11:30 p.m.”

Residents of the community alleged there is a political motive for the curfew which will further disenfranchise women and non-indigenes from voting on election day. Others complained that it would paralysed commercial activities in the community.

Oba Elegushi Says Oro Cult Festival Won’t Affect Election

Debunking claim of the rite being part of an alleged plan to disenfranchise non-indigenes from voting on election day, Oyefeso in a statement said the Oro cult ritual would not hold on Saturday, March 18.

He said, “The restriction of movement for the Oro rites in Ikate-Elegushi Kingdom, Eti-Osa is from Wednesday to Friday, Election Day is not included.

“The restriction is from 12 midnight to 5 am on each day, while residents are free to move before and after this time.

“This clarification is necessary for those peddling falsehood as to the motive for the rites. The peace and progress of our land is the responsibility of all of us and we must be alive to this responsibility.”

Orò Festival is an event celebrated by towns and settlements of Yoruba origin. It is an annual traditional festival that is of patriarchal nature, as it is only celebrated by male descendants who are paternal natives of the specific locations where the particular event is taking place.

During the festival, females and non-natives stay indoors as oral history has it that Orò must not be seen by women and non-participating people.

KanyiDaily recalls that voters were prevented from voting their preferred candidate at Oba Elegushi during the presidential and national assembly elections.