The victory party of the All Progressives Congress (APC), on its successful outing in Saturday’s Edo State gubernatorial election won by its candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo, was almost marred on Sunday as the Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare II, Oba of Benin, openly denied a claim by Comrade Adams Oshimhole that the monarch advised against the candidature of the incumbent Governor, Godwin Obaseki in 2016.
Oshiomhole, the immediate past governor of the state and Senator representing Edo North Senatorial District had led other APC stalwarts, among whom were the Senator President, Goodwill Akpabio and the governor-elect, Okpebholo, to the palace to share the joy of the moment.
After Akpabio had eulogised the leadership quality of the Benin monarch, the Senate President handed over the microphone to Oshiomhole.
The former Labour leader, Oshimhole went on his knees and insisted on staying in that position before the monarch as a mark of his remorse for turning a deaf ear to the acclaimed advice of the Omo N’Oba against his choice of Obaseki as successor in 2016.
Oba Ewuare II, who is noted for his strict discipline, cut the former governor short, telling Oshimhole publicly that he never advised the former governor against the choice of Obaseki.
Speaking while kneeling before the monarch, Oshiomhole had claimed that the Benin monarch advised him against picking Obaseki as his successor in 2016 but he declined.
He said, “Your Royal Majesty, I would like to remain on my knees, first to apologise to Your Majesty for my poor judgement, when, in spite of your clear advice to the contrary, I stubbornly, and wrongly supported a man, who I thought, being a Benin man, will respect the tradition, the custom, the heritage, the brilliance and creativity and the respect for tradition by any logical man that claims a Benin man, when I presented Obaseki to you, against your advice.”
In a swift reply, the Benin monarch, after a traditional clapping signifying that he wanted to talk, immediately countered the claim by the Senator, saying he had never advised against Obaseki’s candidature.
Oba Ewuare noted that he had promised himself that he would not say much about the happenings around, and that he had been restraining himself to keep to that promise.
The Omo N’Oba said, “When you said it was against my advice, that is what.. (tape becomes inaudible). But Oshimhole responded: “I apologise, for that, I apologise.”
The monarch continued, “When you brought Obaseki to me, I did not say anything. (The Omo N’Oba raised how palms in a gesture demonstrating that he didn’t say what Oshimhole claimed he said), then he continued: “You know, I said I won’t say so much here. I told them. And I will try to restrain myself. Because anything that will bring any…with my son Akpakomisa (Okpebholo’s appellation), I want to avoid it.
“But I have to correct it when you said ‘against my advice’. I never said anything against Obaseki when you brought him. You will recall, this one (the Oba pointed to the former chairman of the Edo State Board of Internal Revenue, Elemah, a bossom friend of Oshimhole) is your witness when you brought him to introduce him to me. You talked about Odubu (Oshiomhole’s deputy governor) voted against my father’s choice.”
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