"Monarch cannot campaign for any candidate in Yorubaland" - Oba Sikiru Adetona tells President Jonathan

As part of his re-election bid, President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday visited the Awujale of Ijebu land, Oba Sikiru Adetona, where the paramount ruler said it was not possible for any Oba to campaign for any candidate in Yorubaland.

Oba Adetona who received the president in his palace, pointedly told him that it was wrong for any oba to campaign for any politician in his domain.

“In Ijebu here, it is not possible for any Oba, not even 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 programme 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.

Speaking further, the monarch said: “The people will engage you as soon as they see you as a person, how beautiful you are, or to listen to you and see if there are areas where we can work out things, and as a result this, everybody congregating here belongs to different groups. They are PDP members, APC members, APGA members among others, all of them have various interests,with different toga.

“They all want to come to the palace to meet their ruler in order to receive that important visitor in their lands and give him the honour due to him.”

He, however, said: “I am sure over the years, there has been improvement in the country but this election is full of tension, I don’t know why it is so, elections have never been like this. About 55 years, I have never seen any election that is full of tension like the one we are having now. My prayer is that God should guide us and make sure that there’s peace, harmony and tranquility in the country.”

Credit: Sheriff Balogun/ThisDay