Every talkative should be cautious of what he or she is saying. Governor Makinde occupies the highest office in the state, and every word from that office carries weight. When a leader speaks in anger or in the heat of politics, it does not just reflect on him — it reflects on all of us. Leadership demands restraint, especially when it concerns institutions that predate government itself.
How will you disrespect a highly revered monarch? The stool is as good as the occupiers at a particular time. It is about history, culture, and the collective identity of a people. To threaten disrespect against any oba, no matter the disagreement, is to strike at the root of Yoruba tradition. The crown commands reverence not because the person is perfect, but because the institution is sacred.
What signal are you sending to the general populace? When governor Makinde threatens to “disrespect and abuse” traditional rulers, young people watching will think it is now acceptable to insult elders and kings. We will raise a generation that sees no value in royalty, in counsel, and in the stabilizing role our monarchs have played for centuries. That is a dangerous signal in a society already battling a loss of values.
What is your definition for a king that involves in partisan politics? How will you define a king who practices politics? Is it partisan politics when an oba receives a president, a governor, or an aspirant in his palace? Is it politics when a monarch gives fatherly advice, prays for his children, or endorses someone he believes will bring development to his domain? We must separate governance from kingship carefully, or we will create confusion where none should exist.
Are you saying that a king must reject a politician who comes to his palace on courtesy? Are you saying that a king should reject a politician who comes to him for elderly advice and royal blessings? No responsible monarch will shut his door against anyone who comes in peace. The palace is the father’s house. If we now expect our kings to start screening visitors by party affiliation, then we are politicizing the throne ourselves.
We must be very careful with what we are saying so that we won’t send the wrong signal to the people. Politics should not set us apart. Politics will come and go. Governor Makinde will complete their terms. Presidents will leave office. But the institution of the monarchy will remain. If we sacrifice that permanence for the temporary gains of an election cycle, we will have nothing left to hold our society together after the campaigns are over.
There are already many disrespects for traditional rulers in the state. Is it not a disrespect for a traditional ruler to be without a car of his own but riding a bicycle or Okada ? Is it not a disrespect for a traditional ruler to be living in a dilapidated building , we call Palaces ? while we commission new government lodges every month? Before we talk about how kings conduct themselves politically, we should first ask how we have treated them materially and structurally.
The welfarism of many traditional rulers in the state is nothing to write home about. Many of them cannot compete with their colleagues in other states. Some are owed allowances for months. Some palaces have no perimeter fence, no functional library, and no support staff. Yet we expect them to command the same respect and authority as kings in better-funded states. That is unfair and unsustainable.
All the governor knows is to continue subjecting them to poverty and disrespect, and now to public threats. This cannot be how we build a partnership between government and traditional institutions. If there is a concern about partisanship, the right approach is dialogue behind closed doors, not a media declaration that embarrasses the stool. A governor and an oba are not rivals. They are custodians of the people in different capacities.
Let us return to decorum. Let the government fund and respect the traditional institution. Let the kings remain fathers to all, regardless of party. And let us all remember that Ibadan and Ibarapa share blood, history, and destiny. No ambition in 2027 is worth the price of breaking that bond. Politics will come and go, but our respect for the crown must endure.
