The Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse III, has denied endorsing the national leader of All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as his preferred presidential aspirant ahead of the 2023 elections.
A daily newspaper had reported on Friday that the eminent monarch said the former governor of Lagos is the most qualified person to lead Nigeria in 2023. The report noted the traditional ruler spoke when he received a delegation of the Southwest Agenda For Asiwaju (SWAGA “23) and ‘Delta State for Bola Ahmed Tinubu (DESBAT’23’) in his palace.
But in a statement on Friday, signed by Oriiz Onuwaje, head, Back Office Operations, Office of the Olu, made available to THE WITNESS, said the report was untrue, stressing that the “Ogiame has no political affiliation or preferred candidate for any office in the forthcoming 2023 elections.
According to Palace: “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 quotes have been taken out of context and reworked to suit a specific narrative. They cannot 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 those who seek his audience and counsel.
“Therefore, His Majesty Ogiame Atúwatse III – The Olú 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,” the statement said.