The Eburu of Iba, Oba Adekunle Adeogun Okunoye’s Centre for Rural Affairs and Community Development has taken another look at the August 15, 2025 Osun State governorship election and examined the relevance of the traditional institution in that exercise.
He stressed that traditional rulers could effectively serve as election observers, as exemplified by him and other royal fathers who left the comfort of their respective palaces for the field and returned with reports
The centre is a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) focusing on research and advocacy for Rural Affairs and Community Development.
The Professor of Business Analytics at one of the most prestigious Colleges of Business in the Midwest US said the centre brought synergy between his professional experience and role as a traditional ruler, organising international conferences and seminars on topical issues on rural development.
He argued that rather than waiting for his constitutional role to be agitated by the monarchs, he had decided to contribute to governance through the ambit of what the existing laws and regulations allowed, exploring how traditional institutions can support the democratic government.
The Eburu said he had registered the NGO to serve as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Election Observer, an unprecedented initiative that brought traditional rulers to observe elections to provide firsthand reports on the conduct of elections.
Oba Okunoye revealed, “Despite the registration of the centre with the INEC since 2022, the opportunity to get accredited didn’t come until the 2026 Osun gubernatorial elections.”
The monarch explained that he was motivated to gather his brother kings, most of whom are already on the Board of Advisors to the centre, by concerns that the Osun election might experience possible protests after the elections.
“The concerns were legitimate and real considering the events during the six months that preceded the election date,” he noted.
The Eburu opined that no one can better observe the elections than the traditional rulers who are the conscience of society, saying the throne provides room for honesty, transparency and unbiased report of anything they observed without fear of intimidation.
He stated that he recruited some monarchs who volunteered and served in 13 LGs while professionals served in the remaining local government councils across the state, maintaining that all the centre’s observers were not remunerated but got basic flat reimbursement for training attendance.
“Also, as cautioned by the INEC, our observers did not have contact with any politicians. They worked freely and openly without fear or favour. There are, however, some challenges that primarily relate to logistics, especially transportation, that would have enabled them to move around several wards with the local government,” he said.
Oba Okunoye served primarily in Boripe Local Government but moved around the state within Osun Central Senatorial District. He visited Irepodun, Osogbo. Olorunda, Ifelodun, Odo-Otin, Boluwaduro and Ila Local Government.
“The experience was a rewarding, everlasting one. The reports by all the observers were largely positive, with pockets of minor issues but not enough to affect the general outcome of the election. In an era where traditional rulers’ responsibilities are narrowed to culture and traditional religion, the initiative of the centre should not go unnoticed.
“They have been able to prove that pending the completion of the process of assigning constitutional roles, traditional rulers can still perform many roles under the existing laws and regulations,” he explained.