5:T779,

It was like a scene from a movie when the paramount ruler of Lagos, Oba Rilwanu Akiolu, was prevented from entering the venue of a high profile function in the state. The event was the First Annual Conference of Ahlus Sunnah of Nigeria graced by Vice President Namadi Sambo, who was the Special Guest of Honour; former military Head of State and Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, General Muhammadu Buhari; Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar 111; and the Osun State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, who was the Special Guest Lecturer

A report this morning in Sunday Mirror said that Oba Akiolu “had to return to his palace and refused to attend the conference.” The report quoted eyewitnesses as saying that “the royal father was visibly angered by the situation.”

The report said that Sultan Abubakar 111 later tendered an apology to Oba Akiolu, blaming the embarrassing situation on a “protocol problem.”

According to the Sultan while delivering his address on the occasion, “First, I will like to offer on behalf of the organisers of this conference, especially the chairman, our apology to the Oba of Lagos, the owner of Lagos, for the little protocol problem he encountered why he was trying to come to this hall even before I came and he had to go back to the palace.

“If I had my way, I would have gone back to the palace to bring him here because he is a very close brother with whom we shared so much together. So I believe this conference is to personally meet the Kabiyesi (Oba of Lagos) and explain to him what really happened. But he didn’t take it too much as a bad thing because he is back to the palace.”

It is not clear if the apology was officially communicated to Oba Akiolu after the event.

•Photo shows Oba Akiolu of Lagos.

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