As electioneering begins towards the 2015 general elections in Nigeria, the Soun of Ogbomosoland, Oba Jimoh Oyewumi Ajagungbade III, on Wednesday warned politicians to be wary of reckless driving in order to prevent avoidable accidents.
The monarch gave the charge while receiving the National Leader of the Accord Party and its governorship candidate in Oyo State, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, in his palace.
Ogbomoso, which comprises five local government areas, is the country home of the gubernatorial candidate of the Labour Party and former Governor of the state, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala.
Ladoja had paid a similar visit to the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III, on Monday.
In all the places he went, he was received with drums and fanfare.
According to Oba Oyewumi: “As you are moving around, tragedy will never strike you.
“But you have your own part to play too.
“You must warn those that are following you against excessive speeding and reckless driving.
“It will be easy for you.”
Oba Oyewumi said he was happy to see Ladoja in his palace, praying that God would intervene in his desire to become governor again in Oyo State.
He said: “Whatever God has predestined, nobody can change it.
“So, it is imperative for we royal fathers to pray for you.
“But it is important for all people that want to occupy exalted positions such as governorship to solicit the support of monarchs.
“As you have come, another candidate will also come.
“We cannot rule this out.
“It has been like that from the time immemorial.
“But God knows what nobody knows.”
Ladoja described his visit as home-coming because he was born in Gambari, one of the sprawling communities in Ogbomoso.
He explained that he was in the palace to inform his father that that he wants to become governor in the state according to requests from his party members and the public, asking the monarch to pray for him on the project.
He said: “We had come to promote our party up to four times in Ogbomoso, but we did not have opportunity to come to the palace.
“I do come to the palace as the king’s son, but when we came to promote the party, I did not come because the incumbent government in the state does not tolerate opposition.
“If I came to the palace, the government may think that my royal father has become a politician and my father is not a politician.
“I did not want the government to summon him to appear before a commissioner on why he received me in his palace.
“I am praying to become Olubadan of Ibadanland.
“I don’t want anything that could discredit any royal father.
“These were the reasons I did not get to the palace in the last four times I came to promote our party on Ogbomoso.”
Follow The Eagle Online Channel on WhatsApp
