By Daud Olatunji

ABEOKUTA—THE Awujale and paramount ruler of Ijebuland, Oba  Sikiru Adetona has said that the invitation of the  Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, as a special guest of  honour  at the 2018 Ojude-Oba festival, has nothing to do with politics.

Saraki

Awujale said despite the recent defection of Senator Saraki from the All Progressives Congress, APC, to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, his present status as Senate President  was enough reason for his invitation to this year’s Ojude-Oba festival that comes up two days after Eid-el-Kabir.

The monarch, who was represented by Chairman Planning Committee of the 2018 Ojude -Oba festival,  Otunba Wahab Osinusi said this, yesterday, at the palace hall, Ijebu Ode.

Awujale, however, commended the chairman and founder of Globacom, Otunba Mike Adenuga, describing him as the main sponsor of the annual festival.

The monarch said: “Ojude-Oba has nothing to do with the politics on the ground. The APC  government had been invited, PDP members from Federal to the state have also been invited. If you will  recall, the former Senate President, Senator David Mark was here. Governor Aminu Tambuwal was here and they were not the only people we  invited.

“We don’t play politics with Ojude-Oba. The choice was made before the Senate President defected  and events were unfolding. You cannot at this time say no because he was invited as a Nigerian like traditional rulers from Oyo State who had been here. The invitation has nothing to do with what is going on.” Saraki is coming to Ojude-Oba as the special guest of  honour  this year.”

Awujale, however, said it is erroneous to refer to the festival as an avenue only for fashion and cultural display,   but, described it as a veritable platform to transform Ijebuland in terms of infrastructural development.