The Palace of the Oniba of Iba Kingdom, His Royal Majesty, Dr. Sulaiman Raji Ashade (Jafo), has refuted allegations of an attack on members of the Labour Party, describing the claims as false and an attempt to distort facts ahead of the forthcoming local government elections.

In a statement issued by the palace, the monarch rejected what he termed “spurious and misleading” accusations that emerged on social media, suggesting he had instigated or sanctioned violence against a Labour Party campaign group.

According to palace sources, the incident in question occurred when a political group allegedly aligned with the Labour Party entered Iba Kingdom wielding dangerous weapons such as cutlasses and firearms under the pretext of conducting a campaign rally. The palace said the group had neither sought nor obtained necessary approvals from traditional or security authorities before the gathering.

The monarch, said to have been concerned about maintaining peace and order in his domain, reportedly approached the group to verify their mission and urged them to follow due process by regularising their activities with the appropriate bodies. This intervention, the palace claimed, was mischaracterised as an attack.

“The Oniba is a listening and peace-loving monarch who has always supported lawful political engagement,” the statement noted. “He only sought to ensure that any form of political activity within Iba Kingdom aligns with existing security and traditional protocols.”

While the statement did not mention specific individuals, it attributed the viral allegations to what it called “rogue elements” within the Labour Party and accused them of attempting to sow discord by circulating false information.

The palace reiterated its commitment to peace and democratic values, calling on all political actors to conduct themselves responsibly and avoid inflammatory rhetoric or actions that may destabilise the community.

“The Kingdom remains open to all lawful political activity, irrespective of party affiliation,” the statement added. “However, peace and security will not be compromised.”

Efforts to reach the leadership of the Labour Party in the area for comments were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.