The Oba of Benin, His Royal Majesty Oba Ewuare II, has publicly refuted Labour Party candidate Olumide Akpata’s claim of being a “child of the Palace.”

This correction was made during a meeting at the monarch’s palace in Benin City, where Akpata was accompanied by former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi.

During the meeting, Akpata repeatedly referred to himself as a “son of the Palace” both in English and the local dialect. The Oba promptly corrected him, stating that he had asked one of his chiefs to verify Akpata’s claims and found 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 remarked. “So I need to make that clarification for the sake of the public and the fourth estate of the realm.”

Following the public correction, a member of Akpata’s entourage expressed disappointment, suggesting that the Oba should have made the correction privately rather than in the presence of the press. However, he acknowledged the Oba’s authority, stating, “He is our Oba, and he can’t be wrong.”

“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,” the entourage member said. “In my opinion, any Benin or Edo person is a son of the palace, as we all came from the same source. He should have rebuked him in private and not in the full glare of the press and our guest. But he is our Oba, and he can’t be wrong.”