The Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Rufus Adejugbe, has cursed perpetrators and sponsors of violence ahead of Saturday’s governorship election.
Oba Adejugbe pronounced the curses against the backdrop of political violence in Itaji-Ekiti and Ado-Ekiti which led to the death of a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Tope Ajayi, and many others injured.
The monarch spoke at a meeting with governorship candidates, security agencies, leaders of drivers’ union and okada riders association, at his palace. He said the spate of violence was unacceptable and unimaginable, adding that anyone sponsoring violence would face the consequences of his curse.
Oba Addejugbe restated his intolerance for hooliganism and thuggery in his domain before, during and after the polls, and so called for tolerance among political parties, even in the face of provocation.
According to him, the peace of Ekiti remains paramount, and so he will not allow ‘some selfish politicians to destabilise his kingdom under the guise of election’.
He said: “Perpetrators of violence and their sponsors would be punished by the ancestral spirit of Ekiti forefathers.Election will come and go but our great state will remain. Nothing thrives under violence; our state can only move forward in a peaceful environment. Violence before, during and after election is totally unnecessary and completely unwarranted because we are not at war.
“The essence of election is to allow the will of the people prevail. The people should decide who will govern them and that is all. Democracy is not about killing or bloodbath, but an avenue where choices would be made freely.
“I, therefore, urge all stakeholders to place national interest above personal interest. We must prior