BY SUNNY A. DAVID
Anambra State Traditional Rulers Council have described the attacks on the visit of Peoples Democratic Party PDP Presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar to the Monarchs as unbecoming.
According to them Atiku’s visit was in line with the stipulated protocol for any politician to visit or hold meetings with the Monarchs adding that similar visits have been paid by other candidates in line with the laid down procedures.
The Council in a statement signed by the Secretary General of the Traditional Rulers Council, Igwe Pius Omachonu, Igwe Omachonu disclosed that;
“The Traditional Council had since resolved that all visits to the body should be at the Traditional Council Chambers at Government House Awka, and preferably during its regular meetings.’’
The Presidential candidate was not the first Presidential candidate to visit the Traditional Council at its chambers at the Government House, Awka, as Mr. Peter Obi Presidential candidate of the Labour Party first declared his intention to run for the office of President on the platform of the PDP at the regular meeting of the Traditional Council on March 22 at its chambers in Government House, Awka.
The Traditional Council would do so for other Presidential candidates if they so request, without prejudice to the personal political inclination of individual traditional rulers.
Providing a background to the decision of the Traditional Council to receive presidential candidates at its chambers, Igwe Omachonu recalled that in 2018.
“Both President Muhammadu Buhari and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, met with the Anambra State traditional rulers at the Palace of Obi of Onitsha, Obi Nnaemeka Achebe, Chairman of the Traditional Rulers Council during their presidential campaigns” adding that following the visits, misunderstandings involving the highest level of the State Government ensued as to whether both courtesy visits were personal to the Obi of Onitsha or to the traditional rulers of Anambra State.”
Concer Presidential candidate, the Secretary General of the Traditional Council pointed out that.
“The logistics for the Chairman of the Traditional Council, Obi of Onitsha, to first receive the PDP campaign team at his palace in Onitsha and thereafter wade through the normal hours heavy traffic in the city to Awka to preside over the regular meeting of the Traditional Council, including the reception of PDP team would have been horrendous for all.”