Elders and members of the Otoge Progressives (TOP) from Kwara North Senatorial District have urged traditional rulers in the state to steer clear of partisan politics to preserve peace, unity and progress in Kwara.
The call was contained in a statement jointly signed by five leaders of the group from the five local government areas that make up the senatorial district and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ilorin on Thursday.
The signatories are Sen. Mohammed Ahmed (Baruten), Alhaji Zakariyau Saba (Patigi), Ahmed Kpatako (Edu), Abdulmumin Katibi (Moro) and Alhassan Bagudu (Kaiama).
The stakeholders dissociated themselves from a proposed gathering of Kwara North stakeholders convened by traditional rulers in Bode Saadu, headquarters of Moro Local Government Area, to deliberate on the APC governorship candidature for the 2027 general elections.
They cautioned that traditional rulers must avoid being drawn into partisan politics to protect the dignity of the revered institution.
“We believe that our traditional rulers occupy a unique and sacred position in our society. They should be royal fathers to all their subjects, irrespective of political party leaning, ideological persuasion or personal political affiliation,” the statement said.
The group urged the traditional institution to remain above partisan politics and resist any attempt to place it in a position where its neutrality, impartiality and moral authority could be questioned or compromised.
The elders expressed concern over what they described as the unprecedented politicisation of the traditional institution in recent times, and condemned the growing tendency of the state government to involve traditional rulers in the internal affairs of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
According to them, since the creation of the state in 1967, no administration had subjected traditional rulers to such level of involvement in intra-party matters.
“The traditional institution belongs to the entire people and not to any political party or administration. Traditional rulers should therefore be allowed to discharge their constitutional, cultural and traditional responsibilities without being burdened with intra-party disputes, candidature issues or other matters that properly belong to political parties and their organs,” they said.
The stakeholders further alleged that Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq had mismanaged the affairs of the APC in the state and should find solutions to the attendant problems without dragging the traditional institution into it.
They appealed to President Bola Tinubu to prevail on the governor to respect the sanctity of the traditional institution by insulating traditional rulers from partisan political activities.
The group stressed that their position was not an act of disrespect to traditional rulers.
“Rather, it is an expression of profound respect for the institution and conviction that its dignity, neutrality and non-partisan character must be protected,” the statement added.
The TOP elders reaffirmed their commitment to the unity and success of the APC in the 2027 general elections, but insisted that the selection of political candidates and resolution of intra-party disputes must follow due process through the appropriate organs and structures of the party in line with its constitution and principles of internal democracy.
