A few months before the general election, a former Director of the Department of Security Service, Mr Mike Ejiofor, warned traditional rulers in the country against an open endorsement of candidates as the campaigns begin.
He said the roles of traditional rulers should be mere offering prayers for whoever candidates visit them rather than declaring open support for them (candidates).
Ejiofor stated this in Akure, the Ondo State capital during the 2022 annual public lecture of the Ulefunta Festival, held on the campus of the Federal University of Technology, Akure on Thursday.
The lecture was titled, “Curbing electoral violence and associated crimes in contemporary Nigeria; roles of traditional institutions in perspective.”
According to him, traditional rulers across the country have crucial roles to play ahead of the forthcoming 2023 elections towards building citizens’ confidence and ensuring their participation in the electoral process and peaceful conduct of the election.
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He said, “Traditional rulers are expected to advise political leaders on issues that can enhance good governance and the delivery of dividends of democracy; Influence their subjects, using every possible means to embrace peace at all times.
“They are to help to preserve the culture, tradition and history of the society which includes eschewing violent behaviours; liaising with security and other government agencies to ensure stability in the polity and ensure peaceful co-existence of the populace in their various domains while they remain neutral on political issues”
“Despite the various subtle and brazen interferences in the affairs of the traditional institutions by politicians, they still wield enormous powers and fellowship amongst the populace.
“No wonder politicians patronise them, especially during electioneering periods. This patronage is currently visible and will increase as the 2023 general elections approach.
“Nation-building is a serious, intentional and planned endeavour. We all have a duty not to remain indifferent but to contribute our quota for the development of this country since we have no other country.
“As we approach the 2023 general elections, we should take cognizance of some underlying causes of electoral violence if we must defeat the menace.”
In his remarks, the Deji of Akure, Aladetoyinbo Aladelusi, urged the Federal Government to allow the state security outfits across the country to bear arms to protect the lives and properties of the people.
The monarch noted that the issue of security had become worrisome even in the face of uncertainty and worsening security situations ranging from banditry, kidnapping, and oil theft, killings, and terrorism, ethnic and religious bigotry, among others.
“It is crystal clear that the reality has now dawned on us on the need for the involvement of our traditional institutions as a means of providing a homegrown approach to curbing insecurity. Let me inform you that through our homegrown approach, our efforts yielded many results such that about 850 youths renounced cultism in the Akure kingdom.
“The state government appreciated this effort and many kingdoms took similar initiatives in their respective domains to rid their areas of criminals and rascals.
The Amotekun corps is one of the homegrown approaches that is yielding the desired result and I strongly believe that the huge success recorded is due to the fact that the traditional rulers were adequately involved and carried along in the scheme of things,” he stated.