>
Monarchs under the aegis of Supreme Council of Owu Obas, have vowed to engage civil and political authorities in order to ensure free and fair polls in 2019.
The Chairman of the Council, Oba Hammeed Oyelude on Tuesday communicated the monarchs resolve at a press conference held in Iwo, Osun State, ahead of the 27th Annual Convention of the Royal Union of Owu People (ROUP).
Oyelude who is also the Olowu of Owu Kuta in Osun State called on the Federal Government to ensure free, fair and credible general elections.
His words: “The peace and tranquillity of Nigeria are what Nigerians want and 75 per cent of the effort aimed at ensuring the peaceful conduct of the election lies with the security agencies.
“The unity of the country at large is greater than the ambition of any individual. ROUP has been part and parcel of maintaining peace and tranquillity of the country”.
He vowed that monarchs will not fold their arms but continue to engage the authorities concerned in election processes.
“We will not fold our hands, but continue to engage the authorities on how to achieve free and fair elections. As royal fathers, we urge our colleagues across the geopolitical zones to engage their subjects in order to allow peaceful conduct of the 2019 general elections,” he said.
“We urge the principal players in the major political parties to put the interest of the country first. It is when we have a peaceful country that they can think of how to achieve their personal ambitions”.
The Olowu further explained that the annual convention helps to reappraise and provide solutions to the problems facing Owu indigenes.
According to him, Owu is the largest Yoruba speaking ethnic group in the South West zone and a force to be reckoned with in North Central Zone as well as the Diaspora.
“We are one of the largest contributors to national development and economic growth in Nigeria,” he said.
According to him, former President Olusegun Obasanjo would be the Chief Host at the convention while Governor Gboyega Oyetola would be Special Guest.