As the Osun State gubernatorial election draws nearer, His Ancestral Majesty, Oranfe Onile Ina, Oba Abiodun Orarotimi Mulatto, Osangangan I, The Obaluru of Ife has charged the electorate to vote for candidates based on their track record.
The oldest deity of the entire Yorùbá race, stated this in a statement signed by his Media Aide, Prince Adeposi Dare on Wednesday.
According to Ọba Abiodun Mulatto, it is the duty of all and sundry to ensure that the future of the state is safeguarded through all-encompassing political participation guided by respect for the rule of law and concern for the growth, development and posterity of the state.
“I have often urged the people of Osun to carefully consider the backgrounds of all of the individuals running for office. At this point in Osun’s history, we cannot afford to take leadership risks. At this crucial time, we cannot afford to give the State to con artists.
“The best candidate, in whose hands they believe the State will be safest, must therefore be chosen by the people after they have critically analyzed the goals and programs of each of the contenders. It is not the time for irrational feelings; rather, it is the moment for serious thought and the rejection of any candidate who has a grasp of the problems at hand and the best approach to handle them, he continued.
“The boundaries of our freedom to engage in governmental processes must be widened. The need of fixing our country comes first. This is important to the process that we have selected. As a result, I will keep urging Nigerians to cast ballots.
“Let’s go out and register because it is our civic obligation to do so, and we should be glad that quite a bit of energy is being expressed due to some strange twist of fate.
“The development of democracy follows the democratization of progress. That is, if we make advancements that are accessible to the greatest number of our population democratic, then our people will be eager to cast ballots.
“However, it will be a little challenging to persuade our people if they vote and believe they chose a particular group of individuals to benefit from on their behalf.
“The political elite in Nigeria, I implore you in the name of Elédùmarè: we love our nation and we love our democracy; therefore, please allow us to have faith in you. Make it possible for us to love you and for us to believe that we have chosen to live by choosing democracy.
“I want to remind the people of Osun to vote in order to survive; there are ongoing concerns about voting in order to obtain money.
Ọbaluru subsequently commended all relevant agencies involved in the planning and execution of the July 16 Governorship election in the state and pleaded with them to remain neutral and committed only to the true tenets of democracy.
“I sincerely hope and pray that this election will be fair, honest, free, and credible. No matter the outcome, it will still be a family affair because everyone you will vote for is from Osun.
“May God bless you and the people of Osun.”
