By Sebastine Ebhuomhan
Monday, 7th April, 2025. Abuja.
In a landmark, historic event, Edo State governor, His Excellency, Monday Okpebholo on Thursday visited the palace of the monarch of Benin Kingdom, Omo N’Oba N’Edo, Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare II, to share the joy of his epochal victory on Wednesday, 2nd April, 2025, the day Election Petitions Tribunal in Abuja unanimously affirmed his free, fair, credible and popular governorship election in September, 2024.
Widely approved, supported and applauded by political observers, social commentators and communal advocates as an important task in the tradition of recognising the cultural, spiritual and divine role of the greatest throne, the visit drew thousands of appreciative well-wishers and residents of Benin City out of their homes and from the other parts of the state, ultimately resulting to the brief figurative shutdown of the capital city, Nigeria’s Heartbeat, as Oba Ewuare happily hosted his visitor, once again.
Draped in humility, Governor Okpebholo drove into the palace and walked unto the throne of a beckoning ecstatic Oba Ewuare, CFR; knelt down to greet His Royal Majesty as it is customary; and, like a lion, roared, “Oba ghator kpere, Ise,” in expression of his heartfelt gratitude for the monarch’s support, guidance, advice and prayer.
In an open reciprocation of the governor’s simplicity, character, integrity, loyalty, sagacity and gratitude, Oba Ewuare stood up from his throne, walked to the governor and lifted him up from his knees to an embrace thus underlining the intertwining of love, care, respect, peace, unity, focus, determination and unanimity of purpose between the political leader and the traditional leader in the interests of the state and the people of the state. Indeed, Edo State is blessed with the ideas and solutions to tackle its challenges.
Addressing His Royal Majesty, Governor Okpebholo said, “I am here in the palace to let you know that the issues of the election petition tribunal between Monday Okpebholo and Asue Ighodalo have been resolved. It was resolved in favour of Monday Okpebholo and the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“The three judges agreed that Senator Monday Okpebholo won the September 21st governorship election in Edo State. Three parties took APC to the tribunal and all the cases were thrown out by the judges. This means that I am the duly elected governor of Edo State.
“Your Majesty, I am here to thank you and Edo people for the love, prayers, and support shown to my administration. I will continue to do my best and work for Edo people and ensure that they enjoy the dividends of democracy.”
As he has been accustomed in his interactions with visitors to the palace, the monarch did not hide or belie his emotion. He was pleased with the outcome of the tribunal judgement. It was painstakingly detailed by the Tribunal Chairman, Honourable Justice Wilfred Kpochi and unanimously assented by the other two judges, Honourable Justices K. B. Yusuf and A. A. Adewole, contrary to the split decision the opposition leaked and forwarded on social media before hand.
For emphasis, the judgement left no stone unturned in the losers’ search for justice. The tribunal dismissed the petition of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Asuerinme Ighodalo, for failing to prove allegations of over-voting, non-compliance and dumping of evidence on the tribunal. Particularly, the tribunal held that Okpebholo would still have won even if all disputed votes were deducted from his total valid votes. As for the other two equally dismissed petitions, the Action Alliance (AA) and the Accord Party (AP), the judgements showed they had no reason for wasting colossal time and money in pursuit of nothing.
So, instead of interceding through a palace chief as it is the practice, Oba Ewuare personally prayed for Governor Okpebholo, his family, and his administration’s success.
Communicating in the language of his ancestors, he declared Okpebholo’s tribunal victory a victory for Edo people. He recounted how evil doers had sought to destroy the state with their machinations. He thanked Okpebholo for not giving in.
“It shall be well with you, your wife, and children. Our ancestors approve your journey to Edo. Our ancestors brought you to restore the lost glory of Edo State, which evil doers do not want. We have been praying and we will continue to pray for you not to allow evil forces to destroy Edo.”
“The tribunal judgment is a victory for Edo people. The governor has been doing well for the state after hitting the ground running. I am supposed to travel today on a working visit, but when I heard that he was coming, I had to wait for him.
“As we heard that he wants to bring his victory to his father, I had to wait for him. He is my traditional son. We will do our best to keep praying for him and play a fatherly role for him.
“The governor is a traditional son. We will not speak much. This is significant as we have not done this before. I appeal to the sons and daughters of the Oba, chiefs in the palace, that we will not allow our son to kneel for too long. We have not done this before: leaving the throne to lift a person up from his knees. The ancestors directed us to do this.
“I encourage you to work harder. And I know you have been working so hard that some times, you have no time to play. We thank you for coming here first. Thank you so much,” Oba Ewuare concluded, as he walked from his throne to lift the governor from his knees for an embrace.
Ordinarily, a linear-patterned relationship in which the monarch customarily mentors with cultural, traditional, spiritual and socio-political guidance to the governor without any interference in governance, this present relationship, unlike the one-sided with the immediate past governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, is founded on mutual respect, integrity, and accountability.
Like his father, Oba Erediauwa, Oba Ewuare II welcomes every personality—political leader or not, that loves and works for the people, who genuinely visits his palace for royal blessing, to his unconditional fatherly support. Long before the governorship election of 2024, ex-governor Obaseki was always coming to the palace for royal blessing and support. He obtained unconditional royal blessings and disappeared. Like him, many others came. They obtained royal blessing. Some have been coming just as others have not been seen since then.
However, in a recreation of the biblical story of gratitude, Okpebholo gratuitously returned to the palace to acknowledge the monarch’s support. The governor has continued to hold the monarch in the highest esteem with regular visitations. In Luke 17, 11—19, only one of the 10 lepers Jesus healed on his way from Galilee to Jerusalem returned to give thanks. The act of Ogbonmwanyese (ingratitude) is cursed in Benin culture and folklore.
Notably, Obaseki led Ighodalo on a visitation and obtained Oba Ewuare’s blessings. While the monarch genuinely blessed the PDP candidate’s governorship ambition, the godfather and party leader, now self-exiled ex-governor Obaseki, was secretly planning the monarch’s deposition ahead of his anticipated PDP victory. As it is often said, the gods in their wisdom, see everything. Today, the rest is history.
For a better understanding of the past, in a three-page letter with reference number BTC.A40/VOL.LVVI/402, titled: Congratulatory Message on Your 100 Days in Office, dated 19th February, 2025, signed on behalf of His Royal Majesty by Chief Stanley Obamwonyi, the Esere of Benin Kingdom, the monarch detailed how Obaseki and his factional PDP abused Benin traditional institution in spite of its royal blessing and support to him and his administration.
The letter read, “Without any iota of doubt, your victory at the polls was a watershed in the electoral history of the state. It was a divine answer to our people’s prayers for an end to the previous administration that had rendered the whole environment in Edo State very toxic. Disrespect and disregard for the rule of law was the order of the day. The psyche of the people of Edo State was severely brutalized. Edo State Traditional Institutions were also severely undermined, insulted and almost destroyed. There seemed to have been a vengeance against Edo people for reasons better known to the perpetrators which virtually took over the governance of the state before Your Excellency took office.
“Prior to your inauguration as Governor of Edo State, the traditional institution in the state, which forms a supportive part of the state governance had been subjected to the most avoidable meddlesomeness which was calculated to destroy the entire fabric of the institution. This orchestrated design was undertaken in several ways, including: (i) through the unwarranted attempt to appropriate ancient ancestral artefacts which belong to the Oba of Benin; (ii) through the unlawful move to create Traditional Councils in Edo South in total disregard of the established customary law of the Benin people as duly declared in the Traditional Rulers and Chiefs Law of Edo State; (iii) through the denial of statutory entitlements to the Benin Traditional Council, among other unfortunate actions; and (iv) the revocation of the concession of Oba Akenzua II Cultural Centre which was concessioned to HRM Oba Ewuare II and the clandestine attempt to annex part of it to add to the Central Hospital Ground which was demolished to make way for a private museum called MOWAA.
“To the glory of God Almighty and our ancestors, on your inauguration as Governor, Your Excellency immediately reversed these unlawful, wicked and inappropriate actions, thus putting an end to the schism between the Benin Traditional Institution and Edo State Government. For these statesmanship acts of lawfulness, and respect for the traditional institution of the Benin people and Edo State as a whole, history will forever remember Your Excellency in glory.”
Even though the future is an uncharted vista, it’s unsurprising that the fugitives in strange lands today are those who bullied institutions and thrones yesterday.
The clear message to the vagabonds, bastards, prodigal sons and daughters working assiduously to cause a rift in the father and son relationship between the governor and the monarch is that they will continue to work, work, and work without results just as they are bound to failure, if they achieve any result… All those directly and indirectly challenging the privileges, rights, authorities and powers of the Benin monarch and purposely disrespecting the Benin Kingdom throne such as: Godwin Obaseki, Crusoe Osagie, Albert Obazee, Osaretin Gaius and others along with their supporters and sympathisers are merely laying curses upon themselves. They will continue to gnash their teeth as Benin and Edo State continue to witness unprecedented development from the unification of Okpebholo’s and Ewuare’s positive forces.
Meanwhile, Oba Ewuare has continued to take responsibilities in support of Okpebholo’s administration’s effort to overcome inherited challenges confronting the state towards a more united, secure, peaceful and self-sufficient communities in Edo South District necessary for the actualisation of the government’s developmental policies and programmes.
In this regard, the monarch announced the indefinite suspension of Enigie of 71 villages and communities last month. The royal purge is expected to uproot saboteurs identified for “anti-palace and rebellious activities against the Oba of Benin and the traditional institution.” The Obaseki administration inordinately and criminally used the suspended Enigie to disrupt and bully the traditional system as well as undermine Omo N’Oba.
The Okpebholo administration, which had earlier discontinued the prosecution of the case Obaseki administration encouraged some of the dissidents to pursue against the Oba of Benin under the cloak of Obaseki’s five executive orders, has since ratified the suspension of the Enigie, whose rebellion was likened to a cultural coup de’etat against Oba Ewuare II.
Smarting from the blessings of a six-week-long successful funeral rites for the Queen Mother, Iyoba Omo N’Ikuoyemwen, Iyoba Ewuare II between Saturday, 15th February and 27th March, 2025, that ended with the lifting of suspension on the use of red beads, Omo N’Oba has now started appointing heads for dukedoms and villages of the suspended Enigie. For example, in a grand ceremony of rich cultural display, Oba of Benin last Monday bestowed the prestigious title of Okao Noreguae for Ologbo and Ehor Dukedoms on Emmanuel Iyase, the Ihaza N’Udo. The honour, which will enable Iyase to oversee traditional leadership, and promote cultural heritage and traditions as Oba’s representative, testifies to his illustrious career and outstanding contributions to human development.
In a related development, the monarch has also directed the Enogie (Duke) of Iguogie Dukedom, Festus Osagie Aiyeki, to oversee the affairs of the neighbouring Evbolekpen Dukedom in Ovia North East Local Government Area following the indefinite suspension of Enogie of Evbolekpen, Chief Ebabulele Obanosa.
Just as the limitless powers of the executive governor of Edo State is only subject to moral and constitutional limitations, the position of Benin monarch is repository of the rights, divinity, law, and power of Benin Kingdom. It is better, therefore, for the good citizens of the state to support the governor, the monarch and the government for enduring development and progress.
Mr. Sebastine EBHUOMHAN is an award-winning journalist and a media consultant from Edo State. He can be reached on: usie007@yahoo.com and 08037204620.
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