Edo State governorship candidate of Labour Party, Barrister Olumide Akpata was humiliated by the Oba of Benin during a courtesy visit he made to the monarch’s palace in Benin City, the state capital, on Saturday.
Accompanied by the party’s presidential candidate in last year’s general elections, Mr. Peter Obi, Akpata had, in the course of his presentation to the Oba, claimed several times that he was a son of the Oba’s Palace.
In his remarks, His Royal Majesty, Oba Ewuare II said he had heard the claims previously, and had asked one of his chiefs to verify he was because he was not aware that candidate was a child of the Palace. The monarch said that his chiefs confirmed his suspicions that Akpata had no direct or distant link to the Palace.
“You are an industrious son of the soil, but to say you are a child of the Palace…I am not aware that any of my children is contesting or is a politician. So I need to make that clarification for the sake of the public and the Fourth Estate of the realm”, the Oba said.
“I hope you don’t mind that clarification. You are an industrious, indigenous son of the soil but you are not a child of the Palace.”
In response to Oba Ewuare II ‘s correction, Akpata said: “I am grateful for the correction. It was a mistake on my part. I’m a true son of the Benin Kingdom. I hope His Royal Majesty will forgive me”.
Akpata and his entourage left soon after.
