Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo reaffirmed the constitutional superiority of elected officials on Friday when he ordered traditional rulers to stand and greet him at a public event.
The directive came during the commissioning of a 34.85 km Oyo-Iseyin Road and the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology’s Iseyin Campus, which houses the College of Agricultural Sciences and Renewable Natural Resources.
Speaking in Yoruba, Obasanjo emphasized the importance of respecting elders and those in positions of power, even for individuals of royal status, to preserve the Omoluabi culture of the Yorubas.
In his address, he said, “Thank you. Please, be seated. Firstly, I greet you all monarchs and royal fathers and thank you for coming. But let me make something clear: whenever the governor or the president is present, even the royal father must stand up to honor the president (or the governor).”
“Stand up! You can have your seat. Please!!!” he ordered them.
Obasanjo further explained, “In our (Yoruba) culture, we honor two main things: age and position. The governor’s position is higher than that of any monarch in as much as he is still the governor.”
He stressed that he, too, honored traditional rulers when he served as the president, emphasizing the importance of promoting culture and value systems.
Olusegun Obasanjo, a retired military officer, served as Nigeria’s head of state from 1976 to 1979 and later as its president from 1999 to 2007.
