The Oba of Benin, His Royal Majesty Oba Ewuare II, reprimanded Labour Party (LP) gubernatorial candidate Olumide Akpata over his claims of being a son of the palace. The incident occurred on Saturday when LP presidential candidate Peter Obi accompanied Akpata to the palace ahead of the Edo State governorship election.
During the meeting, Akpata repeatedly referred to himself as a son of the palace. The Oba swiftly dismissed these assertions, stating that his verification revealed Akpata had no direct or distant links to the palace. The Oba clarified that Akpata is better known as an industrious son of the soil, not a son of the palace.
In response, Akpata acknowledged the correction, stating he is a child of the kingdom rather than the palace. A member of Akpata’s entourage expressed disappointment with the Oba’s public rebuke, arguing that any Benin or Edo person is, in a sense, a son of the palace.
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