Obasanjo Under Fire for Ordering Yoruba Monarchs to Stand Up for Makinde

The former President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo, has faced a backlash from Yoruba leaders for his disrespectful remarks and actions towards the traditional rulers in Oyo State during the inauguration of the 34.85km Oyo-Iseyin road on Friday.

Newsflash Nigeria reports that Obasanjo, who was a special guest of honour at the event, was displeased with the behaviour of the monarchs, who remained seated when they were being introduced and when Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, was delivering his speech.

Obasanjo angrily ordered the kings to stand up and greet the governor, saying that a sitting governor or president is superior to any traditional ruler and must be accorded the necessary respect.

Obasanjo’s directive, however, did not go down well with many Yoruba leaders and groups, who condemned his action as an affront and a desecration of the traditional institution in Yoruba land.

One of the critics was the Oluwo of Iwo land, Oba Abdulrosheed Akanbi, who lambasted Obasanjo for what he described as a sacrilege and an insult to the revered stools of Yorubaland.

The Oluwo, through his Chief Press Secretary, Alli Ibraheem, said he blamed the monarchs who obeyed Obasanjo’s order, saying that they should have stood their ground and defended their dignity.

“I only blame the monarchs who stood up to obey such an embarrassing direction. I’ve strong assurance that such will never happen and some few monarchs I will not mention,” said Oba Akanbi.

He added that respect should be earned rather than demanded, and that traditional rulers also respect their subjects. He said Obasanjo’s action was condemnable and demanded an apology from him.

“Kingship is an institution of God. As such, relating with kings requires a high sense of modesty, courtesy and respect. The display by the former president of Nigeria, General Obasanjo was an intentional desecration and sacrilege against revered stools of Yorubaland.

“An injury to one is an injury to all. Yoruba traditional rulers are not uniform men anyone can command at will. I don’t blame him, those Royal Fathers who stood up to obey such an ignoble and desecrating of traditional institutions from the old man,” he said.

He further stated, “Yoruba traditional institutions demand an apology for the open desecration to molest and bring down the institution. He needs to prove himself as a core Yoruba man with an apology letter.”

Another critic was the Oyo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), which accused Obasanjo of disrespecting and verbally attacking the traditional rulers in the state.

The party in a statement issued at the weekend and made available to journalists in Ibadan by its Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, said Obasanjo was a vindictive individual who was not worthy of the status of a statesman, title chief, and leader on the African continent.

He alleged that Obasanjo carried out a pre-meditated action against the monarchs because they refused to be used by him to promote his political agenda for 2023.

He claimed that Obasanjo wanted to make Peter Obi, the former governor of Anambra State and Labour Party presidential candidate for 2023, the next president of Nigeria.

He added that Obasanjo not only disrespected the kings but also desecrated the Yoruba culture.

The statement read in part: “It is unfortunate that Chief Obasanjo could not hide his disdain for our revered traditional rulers in Yorubaland as he chose to disrespect them openly and before cameras at an event graced by one of his cronies who he is grooming to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023.

“We have it on good authority that Chief Obasanjo had earlier sought audience with some prominent traditional rulers in Oyo State with a view to convincing them to support his candidate but he met a brick wall as they all turned him down. This must have informed his decision to embarrass them publicly as a way of getting back at them.”

“It is evident that Chief Obasanjo used the avenue of his questionable invitation to the road project commissioning to get back at certain individuals who openly rejected his presidential candidate, Peter Obi, in the build-up to the last general election. We recall that one of the monarchs on the seat appeared on some private radio stations during the electioneering and mobilized support for Tinubu, who won the election eventually. This did not go down well with the former popular president for his vindictiveness, and he used the opportunity handed down to him by one of his loyalists (Gov. Makinde) to hit back at his target.

“Meanwhile, we condemn in strong terms the conduct of Chief Obasanjo, who threw decorum into the wind on account of being a former president and chose to desecrate the rich culture and traditions of the Yoruba people.

“By assaulting the monarchs, who were at the occasion on invitation, the Owu-born former military dictator had shown the world that he was not worth his status as a statesman, title chief and leader on the African continent.

“It is on record that despite ruling Nigeria for a combined period of 12 years, Obasanjo did not make a significant impact on the lives of the people of Oyo state as the best he did (and still does) was removing an elected governor of the state and refusing to add value in the areas of infrastructure, wealth creation and empowerment of our people.

“So, the good people of the Pacesetter state do not hold him in high esteem, and they expect little or nothing from him, even if he has another opportunity to become president again.

“However, there is a pertinent question begging for an answer regarding the choice of Obasanjo as the chairman of the occasion at the instance of Gov. Makinde.

“The simple truth is that the whole scenario has further exposed the hypocrisy in Gov. Makinde, who has done everything possible to claim the glory of President Bola Tinubu’s victory in Oyo state in the February 25 presidential election.

“How can you be loyal to two opposing characters in a political contest at the same time? It is obvious, Obasanjo is anti-Tinubu and Makinde is also pro-Obasanjo while we watch keenly as the governor continues his tricky game in the political space.” Sadare stated.

The APC urged Governor Makinde to call Obasanjo to order and apologize to the traditional rulers on his behalf. It also advised the monarchs to be wary of Obasanjo’s antics and protect their integrity.

The controversy over Obasanjo’s remarks has highlighted the deep divisions within the Yoruba political elite. Obasanjo is a controversial figure who has been accused of authoritarianism and arrogance. His critics say that he is out of touch with the modern Yoruba and that he represents the old guard of Yoruba politics.

Obasanjo’s supporters, on the other hand, say that he is a visionary leader who is not afraid to speak his mind. They argue that he is simply trying to uphold the dignity of the Yoruba traditional institution.

It remains to be seen how the controversy will play out in the long term. However, it is clear that Obasanjo’s remarks have touched a raw nerve among many Yoruba people.

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