Okpebholo’s Campaign Organisation Accuses Obaseki of Pretence in Mediating in Royal Rumble, Insists Governor Behind Court Case by Suspended Dukes

Despite clarifications by the suspended Enogie of Evbo-Obanosa, in Orhionmwon local government area of Edo State, Prof. Gregory Akenzua, exonerating the state governor, Godwin Obaseki of instigating the court case against the Oba of Benin, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Ewuare 11, the Senator Monday Okpebholo Campaign Organisation has insisted that the governor was complicit, stressing that he cannot wriggle out of it because of his desire to challenge the authority of the Oba “by his intention to create alternate traditional rulers in every local government in Edo South against the laws and traditions of the Benin people.”

Reacting to the governor’s recent visit to Akenzua’s residence where he met with aggrieved Enigie in Edo South senatorial district with the possibility of mediating in the rift, the APC governorship candidate’s campaign organisation said it’s an abomination for the governor to want to broker peace or settle a case between the revered King and his subjects or the suspended Enigie. It therefore advised Governor Obaseki to allow Oba Ewuare 11 to breathe and stop pretending to be brokering peace when in reality he was s the “chief instigator” of the crisis.

A statement on Thursday, signed by the Director of Media and Publicity, John Mayaki, advised that “It’s better for the governor to focus on marketing his failed government and his ‘godson’ candidate, Mr. Asue Ighodalo to Edo people than blowing hot and cold”.

According to Mayaki, “Godwin Obaseki lacks the authority, as it’s another abomination to Benin tradition and culture, to want to broker peace or settle our revered King with his subjects or suspended Enigie. What Governor Godwin Obaseki is saying or claiming he wants to do is comparable to a living creature (Man) saying he wants to broker peace between the Almighty God and a creature of God who is a sinner.

“We are therefore not surprised, as Governor Godwin Obaseki has continued to show his lack of proper understanding of Benin traditions and Customs. This, he has displayed severally over his almost eight years of misrule in Edo State. A few examples of Governor Godwin Obaseki’s lack of understanding of Benin traditional history and culture are the issue of the stolen artefacts from the palace of the Oba of Benin, and the genuine cry of the true Benin man for them to be returned to the palace of the Oba of Benin and warehouse at the Benin Royal Museum rather than Obaseki’s Lagos boys’ EMOWAA Museum.

“The current case between the Benin Traditional Council (BTC) and Edo State Government over Governor Godwin Obaseki’s desire to challenge the authority of the revered Oba of Benin by his intention to create alternate traditional rulers in every local government in Edo South against the laws and traditions of the Benin people, is another issue he cannot wriggle himself out of. We wish to praise our revered Oba of Benin for his usual fatherly role, candour, and disposition so far even in the face of Governor Godwin Obaseki’s continued provocation with his actions and policies against the Oba and Benin Traditional Council.

“We also thank every true Benin son and daughter, both at home and in the Diaspora that has stood to defend our revered Oba and king as well as our cultural heritage against the intentions of Governor Obaseki. We call on Edo people to reject Governor Godwin Obaseki’s PDP and his ‘godson’, Asuen Ighodaro, who has since vowed in a public statement to continue with all the policies of his godfather, Governor Godwin Obaseki in the upcoming September 21 Edo Governorship election”, the statement said.