LG election: Don’t drag Olubadan into partisan politics- Aide

Akinwande Soji-Ojo

Politicians across Oyo State have been called upon to limit their political activities to their respective constituencies and leave out the palace of Olubadan of Ibadan land, Oba Lekan Balogun, Alli Okunmade II, who has no anointed candidate in the forthcoming local government election in the state.

The Personal Assistant (Media) to the Olubadan, Oladele Ogunsola, said this in a statement made available to newsmen on Thursday.

According to Ogunsola, the call became imperative following reports alleging that the revered monarch had imposed a Councillorship candidate in Ibadan South East Local Government on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the local government election holding soon in the state.

InOlubadan, father of all, don’t drag him to partisan politics- Media Aide. the statement, the media aide recalled that, “Kabiyesi Olubadan of Ibadan land as we all know is a royal father and traditional head of Ibadan, a position that confers on him the fathership of all the residents (indigenes and non-indigenes) of the ancient metropolis and it would be preposterous for him to have favourite among contenders.

“No doubt that our Imperial Majesty was a former politician, a former gubernatorial candidate of a political party and later a Senator of the Federal Republic for that matter, but the garb of partisan politics had been dropped years before he ascended the throne of Olubadan and something dropped before he became Olubadan could not now become fashionable to him.

“Oba Balogun appreciates the love of the people for him and cherishes their readiness to associate with the throne, but he urges the people to keep away from anything that can tarnish his image and the institution he represents. Let the politicians play their game in their own way and don’t drag the throne into it.

“As a democrat, Kabiyesi believes in due electoral process and cannot be a party to thwarting the collective decision of any political party. In any electoral contest, majority normally have their way while the minority would have their say and that’s what Kabiyesi believes in and cherishes. Anything outside of that cannot receive Oba Balogun’s nod,” the media aide said.