Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Lekan Balogun, has attributed the country’s development challenges to failure of politicians to fulfill electoral promises.
Oba Balogun said this while receiving a New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) presidential aspirant, Mr Olufemi Ajadi, who paid him a courtesy visit in his Alarere residence in Ibadan on Saturday.
He said that most politicians were in the habit of making ‘beautiful promises’ to the electorate during their campaigns only for them vanish into thin air after securing their mandates.
“We have seen campaigns turning to cajole after politicians get to offices,” he said.
The traditional ruler noted that if the nation’s politicians had religiously followed their blueprint or their parties’ manifestoes under which they campaigned and won elections since 1999, Nigeria would not be in its current situation.
He urged all the people jostling for one position or the other in the 2023 general elections from various political parties to fulfill their electioneering promises when they eventually got to office.
According to him, Nigeria needs fresh ideas and a clear departure from the old ways of doing things “if we want to be counted among the comity of serious-minded countries in the world.”
He urged the presidential aspirant to be objective, sincere and genuine in his campaign.
Oba Balogun also enjoined him not to be a deceit and that he should not allow the allure of office to sway him from his determined and focused mission of giving the country a breath of fresh air, if his dream of becoming the president eventually came true.
Ajadi told our correspondent that his mission to the palace was to intimate the Olubadan of his decision to vie for the country’s number one position and solicit for his blessings.
He stated that his vision was to fill the missing leadership gap in the country.
“I have gone to some parts of the world and seen how things work over there.
“We keep asking why it has been difficult for our own country to work in such a way that our people can live and enjoy their God-given resources unhindered.
“The answer lies in those of us with the ability to make meaningful contributions but who have been shying away from the reality.
“I don’t want to be part of the complainant party again and that’s why I’m stepping forward to offer myself for the exalted position,” Ajadi said.
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