LAGOS APC CANDIDATE PROPOSES FEEDBACK BOXES IN PALACES

An All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the Lagos State House of Assembly, Gbenga Abiola, has proposed installing feedback boxes in traditional rulers’ palaces in Agege as part of his campaign pledge to make constituency representation more accessible ahead of the 2027 elections.

The proposal raises important questions about how community feedback can be genuinely useful rather than merely symbolic, a distinction that Agege feedback boxes in palaces will need to answer if the initiative is to move beyond being another channel for receiving grievances.

Abiola, popularly known as Agbelebu, said the proposed boxes would allow residents to submit complaints, suggestions and requests through Baales, who often serve as a point of contact between community members and public authorities.

But the proposal leaves open how submissions would be monitored, how quickly residents could expect responses and what mechanism would compel action on complaints, questions central to whether the initiative would deliver accountability beyond providing another channel for receiving grievances.

THE PROPOSAL

In a statement issued on Thursday, the APC candidate said the initiative would be part of his broader agenda for Agege Constituency I, arguing that elected representatives should maintain contact with residents beyond election campaigns.

“Representation must be about listening. We cannot claim to represent the people if we do not continuously hear from them,” Abiola said.

He described Baales’ palaces as accessible community institutions where residents could raise concerns, particularly those who might struggle to reach political or government offices directly.

Under the proposed arrangement, information gathered through the boxes would help identify recurring problems across communities and channel them to the appropriate authorities.

THE UNANSWERED QUESTIONS

Abiola did not specify how frequently the boxes would be checked, who would be responsible for reviewing submissions, how residents would track their complaints or how unresolved cases would be escalated. He also did not outline a proposed timeline or reporting system for informing residents about the action taken on their submissions.

These omissions are significant. A feedback mechanism without a response mechanism is simply a suggestion box, a place where concerns go to be collected, not resolved. Accountability requires more than listening. It requires follow-through, transparency and consequences for inaction.

The critical questions are straightforward. Who empties the boxes? Who reads the submissions? Who responds to the resident who wrote them? What happens if the issue raised falls outside the representative’s power? How does the resident know their complaint was received?

Without answers, the initiative risks becoming a gesture rather than a system.

THE ROLE OF TRADITIONAL INSTITUTIONS

Abiola said traditional institutions should play a role beyond ceremonial functions, describing them as potential partners in community development and grassroots engagement.

“The palace is not far from the people. The doors of our Baales are open, and people already trust these traditional institutions,” he said, adding that the initiative would build on that trust to transmit community concerns to elected representatives and relevant authorities.

The argument is sound in principle. Baales occupy a unique position in Yoruba communities. They are accessible, respected and familiar. Residents who might never visit a government office may feel comfortable approaching a palace.

But trust placed in traditional institutions does not automatically transfer to political representatives.

The boxes would sit in palaces, but the responses, or the lack of them would come from politicians. If residents submit complaints and hear nothing back, the trust that made the initiative attractive would erode rather than grow.

THE CAMPAIGN CONTEXT

Abiola said the proposal formed part of his agenda, which he described as centred on service, impact and people-focused representation.

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He said he aimed to ensure that residents could communicate their concerns to their representative without being disconnected from the process after elections.

The proposal comes as political actors begin positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 general elections. Abiola is seeking election to represent Agege Constituency I in the Lagos State House of Assembly.

WHY IT MATTERS

Constituency representation in Nigeria is often distant and irregular. Many residents never see their representatives between elections. Complaints about roads, drainage, schools, health centres and security are made to no one in particular, or to whoever will listen.

If Abiola’s proposal is implemented properly, with clear timelines, designated officers, public reporting and escalation routes, it could offer a useful model for other constituencies. If it is implemented as a photo opportunity, it will join the long list of well-intentioned ideas that changed nothing.

The measure of the initiative will not be the boxes. It will be the responses. ValidViewNetwork reports that Abiola has proposed the initiative as part of his 2027 campaign. Whether it delivers accountability will depend on the details he has not yet provided.