A chieftain of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Alhaji Bisi Olopoeyan, has faulted Governor Seyi Makinde’s position that traditional rulers should not interfere in partisan politics.
Olopoeyan said traditional rulers, as custodians of culture and respected community leaders, have the right to express their political preferences and support candidates of their choice.
Speaking on the development, he argued that the position of a traditional ruler was higher than that of a governor in the traditional setting, stressing that a governor only presents a staff of office to a monarch.
“Makinde has no right to ask traditional rulers not to interfere in politics. The position a monarch holds is far higher than that of a governor,” he said.
According to him, political participation is not restricted to politicians, adding that every citizen, including traditional rulers, has the right to support any candidate of their choice.
“Even Tinubu cannot say traditional rulers should not meddle in political affairs.
Politics is for everybody. It is only when you have not done well for everybody that you would make such a statement,” Olopoeyan said.
He maintained that while a governor has the power to present a staff of office to a traditional ruler, that does not give the governor the authority to dictate how the monarch should conduct himself politically.
“Everybody has the right to support whoever they like. Anybody can love somebody more than other persons. Everybody has that liberty,” he added.
Olopoeyan, however, said a monarch should be accessible to all political actors and should not shut his doors against those who do not support his preferred candidate.
“If you notice that a king has a preference for a candidate over others, you have the right to go and meet the king to ask what you have done wrong.
“And if you visit and the king says you should not enter his house, that’s when we will know the king is partial,” he said.
On the political relationship between former Oyo State Governor, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, and the Oyo South Senatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Barrister Sharafadeen Alli, Olopoeyan said it was understandable for people to assume that Alli was Ladoja’s preferred candidate because of their long-standing relationship.
“I say it: Baba Ladoja built Sarafadeen Alli politically, and Alli is always being seen with him. So, it is normal for people to think he is Kabiyesi’s most preferred candidate.
“It’s not like that. Kabiyesi is for everybody. I can go there anytime I like. You can also go there too,” he said.
