The Eselu of Iselu Kingdom in Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State, Oba Akintunde Akinyemi, has warned traditional rulers and the electorate not to vote for any governorship candidate who does not pick their calls or respond to messages.
Oba Akinyemi, who issued the warning in a statement on Sunday, said public office holders who deliberately create a communication gap with the people do not deserve votes.
According to the traditional ruler, failure to communicate destroys public trust, breeds misinformation and paralyses governance.
He listed seven dangers of keeping the electorate incommunicado, including the breakdown of trust, suspicion of corruption, erosion of accountability, spread of fake news, escalation of crisis and the hijack of narratives by opponents.
“Without mincing words, the habit of responding to calls and messages is a key responsibility of any public office holder; hence, any public office holder or party’s candidate who makes himself incommunicado does not deserve the votes of Ogun traditional rulers or the votes of the entire citizens of Ogun State,” he said.
The Eselu noted that when officials fail to communicate, citizens feel ignored and disconnected, which destroys political legitimacy.
He added that silence by public office holders is often interpreted as guilt and secrecy, and opens room for conspiracy theories and rumour.
“My candid advice to co-traditional rulers, chiefs, politicians and electorate in Ogun State, including civil society organisations, is that we should not vote for any governorship candidates or politicians seeking governorship or any elective positions (no matter their social status) who do not pick up calls or respond to messages of the citizens they desire to lead,” Oba Akinyemi stated.
He said rejecting such politicians will serve as a lesson to others seeking elective positions in the state.
2027: Don’t vote candidates who ignore your calls- Ogun monarch warns electorates