The Eselu of Iselu Kingdom in Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State, Oba Akintunde Akinyemi, has advised voters against supporting political candidates who are inaccessible to the people they seek to represent.
Akinyemi made the call while stressing the importance of regular communication between public officials and citizens.
According to the monarch, traditional institutions, politicians, civil society organisations and other stakeholders must promote better communication between leaders and the people, noting that failure to do so could weaken public confidence and create room for misinformation.
He said citizens who repeatedly fail to get responses from public officials could become suspicious and begin to question their leaders’ intentions.
“When a public office holder fails to communicate with his/her people, such an action causes a dangerous information vacuum that destroys public trust, breeds misinformation, and paralyses governance,” he said.
The monarch further explained that poor communication could encourage rumours, conspiracy theories and false information, while political opponents could take advantage of the situation to influence public opinion.
He also linked effective communication with transparency and accountability, saying citizens need access to their leaders to properly demand explanations over their actions and decisions.
Akinyemi warned that the consequences of poor communication could be more serious during emergencies, as a lack of timely information could worsen situations, trigger panic and make it difficult for residents to follow government directives.
He described responding to citizens’ calls and messages as an important responsibility for public officials and those seeking elective positions.
“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 him/herself incommunicado does not deserve the votes of Ogun traditional rulers or the votes of the entire citizens of Ogun State,” Akinyemi said.
He urged traditional rulers, chiefs, politicians and voters across Ogun State to take accessibility into consideration when choosing political leaders.
“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,” he said.
The monarch said denying support to politicians who remain inaccessible would also serve as a warning to other public officials and candidates seeking the people’s mandate.
