TELL Magazine

Oba Ewuare II of Benin Kingdom has castigated political leaders in the country for abandoning the electorate as soon as they get into office after using all kinds of tactics to get their votes. The Oba, who lamented that Nigeria is in a bad state, also begged politicians to make the country great so that the people can enjoy the good things of life instead of running to Dubai, the United States of America, USA, and even Ghana.

Receiving Nigeria’s vice president, Yemi Osinbajo, who paid him a courtesy call in his palace on Thursday as part of his nation-wide tour to meet delegates to the All Progressives Congress, APC convention ahead of the party’s presidential primary election in June, Omo N’Oba N’Edo, Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba of Benin, stated that “Like the businessman will say, customers are kings. In elections, the electorate are supposed to be kings, but that is not what we have in Nigeria. We have leaders who get to office and enrich themselves and forget the electorate whereas without the electorate, nobody can occupy any political office, especially elected office. Some of these politicians use all kinds of tactics to get the votes of the electorate and at the end of the day, they abandon the electorate”.
He, therefore, appealed to politicians “to make this country great because Nigeria is blessed with great human and natural resources but Nigeria is still in a bad state. We want to be able to stay in Nigeria and enjoy the good things of life; not in Dubai, or in the US. Now, we are even running to Ghana; we should change all these. Nigeria should be a destination point”.

Addressing the Oba and his chiefs on his mission in Edo State, Osinbajo, professor of Law, and senior advocate of Nigeria, SAN, promised the royal father that if elected president, he would do his very best for the country. He said he has the exposure and capacity to govern the country.

According to him, “I am here today on a political visit; but for obvious reasons, I ensured that I must start from the palace. I am here to consult with party members who are delegates in our forthcoming delegates’ convention.
“On April 11, I formally declared to vie for the presidency of this country. I have been exposed to many things in government. I commend the president who has been generous to ensure that I participate in every policy decision-making of the government. I have the exposure at the highest level in government and the capacity to govern the country. I started teaching at the age of 24, and I have served in several capacities; and I assure you that I will do the very best I can for the country.”

Oba Ewuare 11, in his response, confessed that he had always been an admirer of Osinbajo’s eloquence, and appreciated him for his respect for culture and tradition.
He also used opportunity of the occasion to commend the federal government under President Muhamadu Buhari for the role being played to ensure that looted artefacts were returned to their original owners.
Osinbajo later proceeded to the APC secretariat where he had a closed-door meeting with the APC leadership and delegates.

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