Edo 2024 Campaign and Oba of Benin

Adibe Emenyonu queries another attempt by desperate elements in Edo State politics to use the name of Oba of Benin as a campaign strategy in the September 21, 2024 governorship election in the state

Since the commencement of the present democratic dispensation, political parties in Edo State have been winning elections based on their ability to convince the electorate, as well as the popularity and acceptability of their candidates.

However, one issue that has played out in almost all past elections has been the recurring issue of drafting the name of the Oba of Benin into every campaign by desperate elements.

Therefore, it is not strange that political parties are exploring the same strategy in the 2024 campaigns by dragging the name of the monarch into the campaign fray as if he is supporting any political party or candidate.

Part of the strategy includes generating obnoxious materials in the social media containing distasteful and demeaning information against the Royal Palace purported to have come from a particular political party.

Little wonder in the build-up to this year’s governorship polls, misinformation regarding a court case involving the Oba of Benin and some Enogies began to trend.

The case in point is between His Royal Highness (Prince) Prof. Gregory Idurobo Akenzua, the Enogie of Evbo-Obanosa/Abudu and His Royal Highness Edomwonyi Iduozee Ogiegbaen, the Enogie of Egbaen-Siluko against the Oba of Benin and the state government, who are defendants in the suit with Suit No: B/29005/2023.

Ordinarily, the matter which is supposed to be between blood brothers in the Benin royal family is being twisted and coloured to mean that Governor Godwin Obaseki instigated the court to reduce the influence of the Oba, using his uncles.

Due to the strong insinuations that followed and knowing the backlash it may invoke because of the traditional and cultural sentiments attached, the Edo State Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare absolved the state government of any bias. He said the state government’s position is that since the matter is between blood brothers, it must be withdrawn and settled out of court. He even quoted the state governor as having promised to mediate in the settlement. 

Nehikhare, however, pointed fingers at the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), saying the party is trying to turn the people of the state against the palace of the Oba of Benin. He accused the party of using this as a strategy to win the upcoming gubernatorial election.

According to him, “we all agreed that we are coming into an election and there is so much madness in town. It has become clear that it is the intention of the opposition to drag the reputation of our Royal Majesty into the murky waters of their dirty politics.

“All findings have revealed that apart from generating very obnoxious materials on social media, members of the APC have been seen openly propagating this distasteful and demeaning information against the Royal Palace.

“Clearly, they have resorted to weaponising negative campaign against our traditional institution as their only strategy for the coming election because they do not have a sellable candidate and also lack intelligence to market their bad product.

“We however want to warn them that this disrespectful comment about our traditional institution is not a strategy for campaign and since they have no plan and have a defective candidate come September 2024, PDP shall trample upon them in a free and fair election to resounding victory.”

Reacting to the accusations, a former Commissioner for Information and Orientation and chieftain of the APC, Kassim Afegbua asked: “Who is dragging the Oba into Edo political campaign but Governor Obaseki?” He said Benin Kingdom which has been one of the monarchies in Nigeria that have survived years of series of surreptitious attempts at usurping their sovereignty has serially been the object of several acts of betrayal that were meant to undermine its territorial power and influence.

“But heroically, the Benin monarchy has sustained its ingenuity and cultural fecundity for almost 800 years and has kept its historical originality with ecclesiastical awareness. This though has not come at anything less than austere costs. Despite the pervasive western civilisation, the monarchy has remained unadulterated and has consistently retained its cultural heritage,” Afegbua noted, pointing out that Oshiomhole was advised not to make Obaseki governor because of the antecedent of his forebear, Agho Obaseki who tried to betray royal palace and take over as king. 

Disturbed by this trending propaganda alleging that Obaseki instituted a lawsuit to water down the influence of the Benin monarch, a political analyst described what is going on presently as “same old and mischievous campaign strategy” that had been retold over and over.

The analyst who preferred not to be quoted said every gubernatorial election especially in the South senatorial district of the state has always been carried out with the same storyline on a particular candidate or those around him who are being labelled enemies of the Oba of Benin and the Benin Royal Palace. He, however, added that this mischievous campaign has always failed in every election.

Going down memory lane, the analyst recalled that in the 1983 governorship election in the old Bendel State between Prof. Ambrose Alli and Samuel Ogbemudia, there was the same smear campaign against Prof. Alli, claiming that he attempted splitting Benin kingdom into two by proposing the creation of Egbema kingdom, from the Benin kingdom.

According to him, Alli was labelled Oghionoba (an enemy of the Oba and enemy of the Benin kingdom). He said though Ogbemudia of the NPN was declared the winner of that election, it was  not because the campaign of calumny led to Alli’s defeat, but that the NPN rigged the election massively using their federal might.

Again, he recalled that in 1991 when Chief John Odigie-Oyegun ran against Chief Lucky Igbinedion in a two-party race, (SDP and NRC), Chief Gabriel Igbinedion was also labelled as the enemy of the Oba and the Benin Royal Palace, and Oyegun defeated the junior Igbinedion not because of the false label but because of Oyegun’s superiority over Lucky Igbinedion in terms of capacity and competence.

According to him, if the false label of being an enemy of the Oba was effective, the negative effects would have stuck like gum on Lucky Igbinedion in the 1999 governorship election and resulted to his defeat but he won the election.

“In the subsequent elections of 2003, 2007 and 2012, the Oba and the Benin palace was not a campaign strategy, until the 2016 gubernatorial election that produced Godwin Obaseki,” he added.

He further reflected that in 2016, the Edo electorate was reminded of the sins of Chief Agho Obaseki, the great-grandfather of Mr. Godwin Obaseki, who was alleged to have betrayed Oba Ovonramwen N’Ogbaisi that led to the 1897 invasion.  But Obaseki still won the election due to his acceptability and political sagacity of the then outgoing governor Adams Oshiomhole. 

In 2020, Obaseki won his reelection because the Edo electorate asserted themselves by refusing to allow external influence to dictate their choice of voting with the slogan “Edo no be Lagos.”

Unfortunately, another election is around the corner and the same label as an “enemy of the Oba” has cropped up again with the intention to pull down a particular party and its candidate without asking how much this campaign strategy produced positive results in the past.

Ironically, to further show that the state government does not have anything to do with the disagreement, Governor Obaseki has initiated a peace-building process to resolve the issue between Oba Ewuare and the Enigies.

He condemned the action of politicians who are attempting to hijack and distort the matter at stake, urging them to be careful as the Benin royalty is a unique inheritance which Edo people must preserve.

He said: “You will recall that a few days ago, there was an incident in court in Benin City, where there was almost a breakdown of law and order because some people tried to stop a court hearing relating to a case between some Enigie in Benin Kingdom and the palace.

“Government issued a statement that we are going to look into the matter and seek for amicable reconciliation over the issues in court. I came back from a trip about two days ago and decided to commence that process by meeting with the aggrieved Enigie who went to court. The intention is to see what the issues are and amicably ensure that they are resolved.”

Obaseki continued: “Every Enogie in Edo South has a blood relationship with the Palace; they are an extension of the Benin Royal family. We are here to meet a cross-section of them to understand what the issues are. We want to know what it takes to broker peace and reconcile them with the hope that the case is withdrawn from the court.

“They have assured me that they are anxious to promote peace and acknowledge the Oba of Benin as their Royal father but have concerns that bother them and would like them to be resolved. The process has started. We will also visit the lyase of Benin Kingdom and after that, we will visit our Royal father and see how these issues will be resolved.”

From the foregoing, it is obvious that this mischievous campaign of calumny strategy that did not help to win elections in the past cannot help because of what lies ahead, may not change the situation.

What parties in the contest should do is embark on issues-based campaigns rather than engaging in this old story and primordial campaign strategy that has never helped in the past to advance anyone’s cause.

Therefore, if the 2024 election is won or lost, it is not because the winner or loser is tagged a friend or enemy of the Oba but because of the acceptability of the party to the electorate.