2023: Yoruba Monarchs Advise Politicians To Shun Negative Comments

Ahead of the 2023 general elections campaigns, Yoruba traditional rulers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have appealed to politicians to shun every form of violence and negative comments to avoid heating the polity.

Chairman of Yoruba Obas in Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Abdulrazaq Oyewole who spoke with journalists on Saturday on behalf of other Obas during the FCT Yoruba Council election, where Bar. Oladokun Ibitoye was elected Yoruba Community President of FCT and environs, while Ayeyiola Seyi Akin was elected Chairman of Yoruba in AMAC.

The monarchs also advised that the role of traditional rulers during elections should be that of a father to everybody in all the political parties, that they do not need to take sides, but to play a fatherly role to all of them.

“As the elections draw closer, politicians should conduct their campaigns peacefully and orderly. They should try not to use abusive language against one another. They should maturely conduct themselves despite they are politicians.
“We must disabuse our minds from the narratives that politics is a dirty game, it is not true. Politics is not a dirty game, anyone that plays politics in a dirty way is on his own. Our politicians should play mature politics that would give Nigeria a good image after the elections.
“We also advise the youths to shun negative vices during the elections, and they should not allow themselves to be used to perpetrate evil, because those politicians will never use their children to perpetrate evil during elections,” he said.
The traditional rulers further advised Nigerian youths to engage themselves positively and not allow themselves to be used by selfish politicians.
“We have been advising the youths that if they want to get anything, they do not need to take arms to kill or do evil during elections, because the politicians sending them will not allow their children to join them.

“They may have their political parties, but that does not warrant them to take arms to do evil during elections. They should conduct themselves in a matured manner to make us proud,” he said.

The monarch also advised newly elected Yoruba leaders in the FCT to carry other Yorubas along and ensure that they work in the interest of the people that elected them to lead them.