NNPP Chieftain, Ajadi Backs Obasanjo’s Action Against Obas In Iseyin

A chieftain of the New Nigeria Peoples’ Party (NNPP), Comrade Olufemi Ajadi Oguntoyinbo, has threw his weight behind former President Olusegun Obasanjo on the need for the traditional rulers to respect constituted authorities like the Governor and the President.

This is just as the party’s gubernatorial candidate in Ogun State in the last general elections also appealed to the traditional rulers to restrain themselves from active and partisan politics but rather remain opinion leaders in the various communities to continue to earn their due respect.

It would be recalled that last Friday some traditional rulers in Oyo state refused to stand up when Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and former President Obasanjo arrived at the venue of the commissioning of the Iseyin campus of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, leading to Chief Obasanjo, allegedly chiding them for their disrespect to the governor and himself.

The development has however started generating reactions with some condemning the former President on his alleged open disparaging of the Obas while others have diverse opinion.

Ajadi while speaking on the issue in a statement on Monday, backed Chief Obasanjo, maintaining that Governors and President be it former or seving deserve respect.

He said traditional rulers should not dabble into active politics but rather continue to preside over their towns or communities while the governors preside over states and the President over the whole country, stating that though the traditional rulers as custodians of our culture deserve respect but respect is reciprocal .

According to him, “When governors or president visit the traditional rulers in their palaces, they usually give them respects they deserved but at the public functions where they are seated before the arrival of the governors or president, courtesy demand that they give respect to the governors or president.”

He added that traditional rulers have dabbled into politics, insisting that some of them openly aligned with political parties hence the little respect they received from political office holders.

He highlighted the role of traditional rulers as that of impartial advisors in Nigerian politics, expressing concern that their involvement in partisan politics could lead to their humiliation by political figures.

“Traditional rulers especially the Obas in Yoruba land, would stop being humiliated by any political office holders be it governors or the president when they stop being partisan.

“Our Kings are expected to be fathers for all politicians through the giving of advice and guidance on how to achieve good governance but not being partisan.

“However, what is playing out is that most of them are politically aligned and with their involvement in politics it would be difficult for them to receive their deserved respect”, he added.