Tunde Bakare, who is the serving overseer of the Citadel Global Community Church, says that politicians who do “emi lo kan” politics don’t want to help the people.
On Sunday, Bakare gave a speech during a state of the country address that was given in the Ikeja, Lagos, church auditorium.
“Bridging the Gap Between Politics and Governance” was the title of the broadcast.
Speaking on the next elections, Bakare urged Nigerians to avoid vote-buying and put their attention on politics that can advance progress.
The priest listed the politics of separation, deception, manipulation, commerce, exploitation, treachery, defamation, intimidation, elimination, and entitlement as examples of harmful forms of politics.
Bakare said, when talking about the politics of entitlement, that this kind of politics is also called “emi lo kan” politics because it helps people get what they want.
Although the preacher did not mention Bola Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, the former governor of Lagos is credited with popularising the expression “emi lo kan.”
Emi lo kan, which roughly translates to “it is my turn,” is a Yoruba expression.
When speaking to APC delegates in Ogun State in June 2022, in advance of the party’s primary, Tinubu used the term and declared that it was his turn to lead the nation.
According to Bakare, “politics of entitlement,” also known as “emi lo kan” politics, insists on one’s turn even when the stars are not in one’s favour.
“The politics of entitlement also takes the form of ongoing campaigns, which are not made with the intention of serving the public but rather to further personal goals.”
It could also take the form of a person’s insistence on holding a certain political position as compensation for what they see as a lifetime of service to the country.
Politicians that have a strong sense of entitlement avoid political disputes and don’t think it’s important to interact with the public.
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“Entitlement politics will produce an imperial administration that is cut off from the populace and devoid of any sense of accountability to them.” Such imperial rule will repress opposition and devolve into dictatorship.
“When they gain power, entitlement politicians set low performance standards for themselves and are ready to portray molehills as mountains of accomplishment.” All of that is horrible, including the politics and the results.
The cleric continued by saying that politicians who follow ethical political practises engage with the populace and do not shun discussions or defer to others when answering inquiries.
The key to good politics is communication. “Good politicians engage in conversation with the electorate they hope to represent,” he added.
“They reassure the populace, assuage worries, and restore hope through communication.”
“It is interactive and engaging; those who engage in good politics are not afraid to discuss or answer challenging issues.” They don’t even ask others to answer their queries on their behalf.
In December 2022, Tinubu requested that some members of his staff, notably the speaker of the house of representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, and the governor of Kaduna, Nasir el-Rufai, respond to inquiries on his behalf at Chatham House in the United Kingdom.
Nigerians talked about Tinubu’s actions on social media, asking why he didn’t answer all of the questions.
Additionally, the APC candidate has stayed out of the presidential debates.
In contrast, Tinubu won the APC presidential primary in June 2022 with zero votes from Bakare and other contenders like Rochas Okorocha, Ikeobasi Mokelu, and Tein Jack-Rich.
