Oba of Benin, His Royal Majesty Oba Ewuare II, has publicly corrected Labour Party gubernatorial candidate Olumide Akpata for falsely claiming to be a “son of the Palace”.
Gatekeepers News reports that during a recent meeting, Akpata repeatedly referred to himself as a “son of the Palace”, but the Oba swiftly dismissed his assertions.
The Oba explained that he had instructed one of his chiefs to verify Akpata’s claims, and the investigation revealed no direct or distant links 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,” the Oba clarified.
Akpata acknowledged the distinction, stating that while he might not be a child of the Palace, he is a child of the kingdom.
However, a member of Akpata’s entourage expressed disappointment with the public rebuke, saying, “We are not really happy with the manner in which our candidate was rebuked by the Oba for claiming to be the son of the Palace.”
