Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde warned traditional rulers in the state yesterday to stay away from party politics ahead of 2027 elections or they will be subject of abuse by politicians during campaigns.
According to The Nation, the warning memo was delivered by Makinde in Eruwa during his installation as the Aare Asoludero of Ibarapaland by the Eleruwa of Eruwa, Oba Samuel Adegbola.
The governor, who is challenging next year’s presidential election on the banner of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), said any traditional ruler who steps out of limits should not expect to be handled with the kid glove by politicians.
By next week, I will start getting into the mode to start talking, singing and even insulting people. He said, “That’s all.”
He continued: “I will not abuse anybody in the palace because all our monarchs are fathers to all. But when I come out of the palace and go outside I will be attacking them and that is what we do in politics. “We often get on each other’s nerves.”
He said he had in the past rebuffed many invitations by traditional rulers in the state to give him chieftaincy titles.
His common excuse, he stated, was that the titles should be conferred after his tenure.
Eleruwa phoned me that he wanted to offer me chieftaincy title, I informed him that many monarch’s in Oyo State have been contacting me for chieftaincy titles, but I have been declining, encouraging them to allow me finish my tenure as the Governor of Oyo State if they felt I was deserving.
“That was the answer I gave the Eleruwa and I thought we had settled that. Later the kabiyesi called to invite me to his first coronation anniversary and I told him that I will be there because I knew what we went through to reach to this point even when I was on holiday.
“I returned from where I was on holiday, only to discover that kabiyesi had ambushed me and people were already congratulating me on the installation.”
He expressed gratitude to the Eleruwa for the honour done to him and his wife who was conferred with the title of Yeye Asoludero of Ibarapaland.
The event was to be the high point of a weeklong series of celebrations to mark the first anniversary of the king on the throne.
The Eleruwa of Eruwaland, Oba Samuel Adegbola, conferred the titles on the governor and his wife, in recognition of their service, achievements and giant strides, and presented developmental requests, urging the governor to attend to them especially the Eruwa farm settlement renovation before his administration lapses.
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