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With the 2027 general elections drawing closer, Yoruba traditional rulers are taking a fresh interest in the country’s democratic process.
Beyond their traditional roles as custodians of culture and community values, they are now seeking to mobilise their people, raise voter awareness and encourage greater participation in elections.
The monarchs, under the aegis of the Yorubaland Council of Traditional Leaders of Small Towns, Inner Cities and Rural Areas, made the commitment at the launch of a new initiative aimed at promoting voter awareness and strengthening grassroots participation in the democratic process.
The event, held at the Royal Spring Hotel, Osogbo, Osun State, attracted prominent traditional rulers and other stakeholders.
The initiative, organised in collaboration with the Centre for Rural Affairs and Community Development, is designed to bridge the gap between electoral awareness campaigns and grassroots communities, particularly small towns and rural settlements.
The royal fathers unanimously expressed their readiness to participate in pre-election voter awareness campaigns to encourage more eligible citizens to register and exercise their franchise during the January and February 2027 elections.
They also emphasised the need to reverse the trend of low voter turnout, which has allowed relatively small numbers of voters to determine electoral outcomes in previous elections.
Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, represented by the Chairman of the Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM), Temitope Adeyemi, commended the traditional rulers for recognising their importance in the democratic process and the promotion of peace in their respective domains.
The governor said his administration recognised the importance of working with traditional institutions, community organisations and other stakeholders to promote peace, development and inclusive governance.
“We will continue to encourage constructive engagement that brings government closer to the people and supports the well-being of our communities,” he said.
Chairman of the event, Prof Rasaq Abubakre, described the gathering of the royal fathers as significant, saying it aligned with what he called God’s structural organogram of the universe.
The former Commissioner of the Public Complaints Commission in charge of Osun State, described the launch as the establishment of a vital grassroots structure that should not be ignored or treated with levity, given its strength, reach and wide coverage.
Abubakre argued that traditional rulers occupied a strategic position in the grassroots structure and were therefore well placed to drive effective voter awareness campaigns.
He urged the monarchs to work in greater harmony with other components of the electoral structure, particularly ahead of the 2027 general elections.
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“All votes that are collated and sent to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s portal nationwide come from here,” he said.
Abubakre also described Yorubaland as a major cultural and linguistic zone extending into parts of Kwara and Kogi states in the North-Central region.
He urged the Renewed Hope Agenda team to pursue unity of purpose and work towards achieving the level of cohesion he attributed to the Hausa-Fulani and Igbo cultural and linguistic groups, in the interest of national solidarity and collective progress.
Convener of the group and Eburu of Iba, Oba Adekunle Adeogun Okunoye, said the gathering was aimed at promoting peace and grassroots development, strengthening democratic participation and reaffirming the vital role of traditional institutions in community life.
He expressed appreciation to the royal fathers who attended the launch, and described their turnout as a demonstration of their understanding of and commitment to the objectives of the initiative.
Oba Okunoye lamented that development conversations had often focused on urban centres at the expense of villages, small towns and rural communities, despite the significant contributions of rural dwellers to economic growth through food production and other natural resources.
“These communities are home to our cultural heritage, productive labour, agricultural resources and enduring traditions of cooperation. Traditional rulers in these areas are custodians of culture, values and community identity.
“We are close to our people and we understand their concerns, aspirations and everyday challenges. By engaging traditional institutions in development initiatives, we can help ensure that information, opportunities and empowerment reach the grassroots and not only the major urban centres.
“Hope must be reflected in practical improvements in their lives. It must be seen in better infrastructure, access to healthcare, opportunities for young people, support for farmers and pathways to economic empowerment.
“Development should reach the inner cities and rural settlements as well as the larger urban centres. Our collective responsibility is to keep the needs of underserved communities in view and to build constructive partnerships between traditional institutions, public authorities, civil society and the people.
“Such cooperation can help ensure that the dividends of democracy are more widely shared,” the monarch stated.
Former Osun State Commissioner of Information, Chief Sunday Akere, also commended the royal fathers for their patriotic commitment. He also described the initiative as consistent with the Renewed Hope Agenda.
He urged them to intensify efforts to sensitise communities across the country on the importance of participating in elections and avoiding electoral disenfranchisement.
