Life runs on analogies, precepts and examples as veritable guide to the undertakings of man from where he stands per time and in the journey to the future.
This is the reason behind the reverential credits and regard that we give and ascribe to history or historical collections and why we humans venerate ancestors.
Also in any matter the preponderance of examples, instances, incidents or evidences remain the most poignant and most reliable way to adjudicate on any matter.
No judge ever dispense judgement that must be accepted as been fair without establishing it on or a recourse to the compelling persuasive factors of pervasive examples and precepts.
Doing otherwise, such a judgement from and judge will be said to be perverse, obtuse, presumptuous and at best prejudiced and justice not been served.
Justice is not served on the basis of nominality of evidence rather EFFUSIVE supporting facts will influence the direction taken and validate justice, it is only then that it is generally agreed that justice has been done and accepted to have been served.
Even in science, everything else is at the stage of postulations or hypothesis until they are validated by preponderance of evidences, facts and consistency from several simulated trials or occurrences all leading to same conclusion.
It is only then the journey of hypothesis to becoming a theory would have been completed.
Every first grade science student knows this fact.
Now going by historical records, we are all well acquainted with the statement of “vox populi vox dei”.
So let’s dive a little into the phrase “Vox Populi Vox Dei..”
“Vox populi Vox dei” is a Latin phrase that translates to “The voice of the people is the voice of God which has its origin and roots in
medieval England.
It was first used by Alcuin, an Anglo-Saxon scholar and poet, in a letter to Emperor Charlemagne in the 8th century.
Though Alcuin wanted the Emperor Charlemagne to be circumspect about unguarded and uninformed public opinion, ascribing that such positions should be exhaustively validated by its consistency.
Alcuin’s cautionary tone about this phrase was because of the disposition of the Emperor, but later this was adopted by proponents of democracy and popular rule
But that overriding opinion should be that when the people in their numbers accept and agree to anything, it is safer and easier for them to take ownership of that which they have accepted.
As the society understanding grew with more literal positions becoming factual, this phrase then found a corollary in democracy that says “minority must be allowed to have their say but that MUST NOT be in any way be SUPERIOR TO THE VOICE OF THE MAJORITY, who by their numbers must be given the right of way.
Such that in the 1709 Whig tract titled “Vox Populi, Vox Dei” goes to emphasise the importance of public opinion and the legitimacy of government by the people.
The deduction is that doing anything contrary to the pervasive will of the people will be disastrous and with dire consequences.
It warned that accepting minority’s will over the majority will become the tyranny of the minority which cannot endure against the consistency of the decision of the majority.
Consequently in Democratic Perspective, this phrase can be seen as a validation of democracy, where the will of the people is considered divine or supreme.
So in the modern usage of the expression, the phrase “Vox populi vox dei” is has also been used to describe the power of public opinion and its influence on decision-making.
Another School of thought and interpretation of the “Vox Populli Vox Dei “alludes to th3 “Divine Authority” of the People:
This school of thought agrees that the phrase suggests that the combined wisdom and desire of the majority of people has acquired a sacred or divine status, that constitutes and provides a guiding force in legitimacy of government.
Other research works says that the phrase Vox Populi Vox Dei ” means Legitimacy in Leadership:
The proponents of this position says power and justification for leadership in government or authority ultimately comes from and derives its consent from the expressed popular will of the majority of people and not the minority.
The “Vox Populli Vox Dei ” was also agreed to by another body of researchers that accepting the spirit of the phrase connotes a respect for the Public Opinion of the majority.
They opined that the phrase serves as a reminder to value and consideration for the collective voice of the populace in decision-making processes and policy formation.
Lastly, from the “Vox Populi Vox Dei” phrase, It is interesting to note that a lot of people do not also realise that there is a “Journalistic dimension” to this age long phrase.
Today, the term is often shortened to “vox pop” in journalism which refers to “man-on-the-street” opinions or interviews where short interviews with members of the public are collected to gauge their opinions according to the preponderant views.
I have bothered to go into this detailed backgrounds, various research works and contexts, including politics and general presentations to help situate in proper context and deeper understanding of the effusive and pervasive endorsements and support that Governor Biodun Oyebanji has managed to secure in less than three years of his administration from across a broad spectrum of our State and walks of life in Ekiti State.
So when I hear the whimper spins from others in the minority that tends to want to deride these huge support for Governor Oyebanji, I am forced to ask myself the rationality behind their derison of the popular expressions of many indicating their preference for Oyebanji’s continuity over and above any one else in the 2025 APC Gubernatorial race and even 2026 general election for Governor of Ekiti State.
I dare say, no previous Governor in the history of Ekiti State had enjoyed such an elaborate support from the “lowest” to the the “highest” in our State.
It will be incongruous to have these huge support without tangible proofs from the people.
In summary, “Vox populi vox dei” may have a bit of complex origin but also with a rich history, and but today, its impetus cannot be denied when interpreted in context of the power of the majority.
Now let’s look at two biblical contextual validations of the place of the majority.
The Bible states that “Out of the mouth of two or three” which is a phrase originating specifically from the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy, and quoted many other places in different ways in the New Testament.
The meaning is that a “matter” can only or best be established as “true and valid” only when supported by the testimony of the majority figuratively expressed in the bible as “two or three” witnesses.
This principle serves as a safeguard against lousy arguments; false accusations, denials, or even doubts but seeks to validate majority position on matters, particularly those that may have immense, severe immediate and future consequences on their fate, fortunes and future like the choice of who leads them should not be left to a tiny few reduced to single person’s testimony figuratively.
The perfect contextual relevance of this also is the “power of preponderance of numbers” which is indeed what the majority is over and above the nominal few.
Today, there is nobody in the race for Ekiti State Governor in the All Progressives Congress [APC] who can openly boast of the kind of support base that Governor Biodun Oyebanji has. Nobody! I challenge anyone to that.
So the matter of Governor Biodun Oyebanji’s [BAO] continuity in office has been established by these many witnesses not even two or three which as been used figuratively in the Bible.
And now perhaps the most important among the reliance on the compelling influence of preponderance of FACTS AND FACTORS is that which the bible also refers to as the “CLOUD OF WITNESSES”!
The “cloud of witnesses” refers yet again to
the figurative multitude of faithful believers, particularly those from Old Testament times.
These are people who have already lived their lives in faith and are now cheering on current believers from a spiritual perspective, as described in Hebrews 12:1
Translated to the physical understanding, that Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji parades the array of the ENTIRE PAST DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED GOVERNORS AND THEIR DEPUTIES SAVE ONE THAT HAVE SUPRITENDED OVER THE AFFAIRS OF OUR STATE CANNOT BE IGNORED BY ANYBODY WHO IS SENSIBLE ENOUGH!
Not to talk of virtually ALL PRESENT NATIONAL ASSEMBLY MEMBERS AND OLD MEMBERS except one at least openly and same for PRESENT STATE ASSEMBLY MEMBERS except one or two former members.
These are called SELF EVIDENT OR NOTORIOUS FACTS IN LAW, AND ITS ALSO A CASE OF RES IPSA LOQUITUR ALSO IN LAW..! And most importantly the PEOPLE IN THEIR MAJORITY..Common Now ..
The deductions from all these are that the thousands of Ekiti People who are well informed and have been impacted in many ways to have constituted today’s cloud of witnesses on the person and performance of the Governor Biodun Oyebanji administration.
So to see them cheering Governor Biodun Oyebanji on to continue on the basis of what they know of the man and his genuine concern and efforts to make life better for Ekiti People is not unguarded or misinformed.
So are they saying the job is all done? NO,
Are Ekiti people saying a lot more work still need to be done? YES infact the man who can do more is the one who has done something and has something to build on not someone who does not have such records.
But by far the most important declaration of Ekiti People as enshrined in their effusive support is that Can they trust Governor Biodun Oyebanji and entrust their fate; fortunes and future to him for another four years?
The resounding answer from the Ekiti people “cloud of witnesses ” is resounding YES!
As the journey further continues with the submission of the Expression of Interest and Nomination form purchase for him by a non partisan section of the Ekiti people, another unprecedented act in the history of our state, the simplest deductions and conclusions are that minority would have their say, but majority will have its way.
Secondly, here we are confronted with the manifest scenario of VOX POPPULI :VOX DEI and thirdly is the abiding presence of the cloud of witnesses can NEVER BE WRONG.
