We don’t endorse politicians in Yorubaland – Awujale tells Jonatha

The Awujale and traditional ruler of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, has explained why he won’t endorse president Goodluck Jonathan for second term.

The monarch said it was not proper in Ijebuland or Yorubaland for a sitting monarch to anoint any politician seeking elective posts.

He explained that the highest any royal father could do was to encourage their subjects to make their informed choices

Awujale made this affirmation when President Goodluck Jonathan paid a private visit to him in his palace in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State.

The traditional ruler told the president that any Oba who endorsed any political party’s candidate was only looking for trouble and should be ready to face it when problem arises from such action.

He said, rather than begging monarchs for endorsement, each candidate should go out and sell his or manifesto to the electorate.

He said, “In Ijebu here, it is not possible for any Oba, not even only in Ijebu, in Yorubaland, to go out and say vote for this, vote for that; that person is looking for trouble
“But give them the opportunity to present their programmes so that people can make up their minds on what to do. I think this is a very sound democratic principle and that is what I have decided to do, to give you the opportunity of meeting with the people.”

He said, “One, they see you as a person. Whether to engage with you or not to listen to you and see if there are areas where we can meet is a question for individual reason. As a result, everybody congregating belong to different groups.They are members of the PDP, the All Progressives Congress, All Progressives Grand Alliance. They belong to various interests, and when they come, they get to the gate, they shed their togas

“The PDP will remove their PDP, the APC will remove their own. They will remove their own. They are going to the palace to meet their ruler, their paramount ruler; to receive that important august visitor who is coming to their land and give him all honour that is entitled to him.”

He, however, advised voters to elect those that had the fear of God and integrity and not those who would mortgage their future, after offering them gifts.

He said, “Each time I have cause to talk to our people, I have always told them, in the churches and mosques that when you’re going to vote, make sure you back your sons and daughters who will give something back to you; not the ‘Ojelus’ (looters).

“Those who will be honest with you, who know the way of God; those are the people you should vote for; not those who will give you two, three spoons and mortgage your future. It is not right.”

The monarch, who prayed to God to guide the country right, acknowledged that he had never seen any election that was full of tension in the last 55 years like the current one coming up in less than two weeks.

Speaking earlier, President told the Oba some of his achievements within the past four years, which he claim cut across party, ethnic and religious lines.

He said, “In the road infrastructure, we have tried. Railway is back, we are trying to improve our terminal buildings and security environment in our airports.

“The Health sector, we have tried both in the tertiary level, or what we call health tourism. Some of our hospitals are now open for kidney transplant and at the primary level we are able to eradicate guinea worm and we are on the way of eradicating polio completely from this country.”

President Jonathan, who visited the Oba in his royal home around 11.15am was accompanied by the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Adamu Mu’azu; a former governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel; Governors of Bayelsa and Ondo states, Seriake Dickson and Olusegun Mimiko respectively, among others