Oshiomhole, Oba Ewuare, and Obaseki
By Publisher
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Former Edo State governor, Adams Oshiomhole, was left embarrassed at the palace of the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, when the monarch openly countered his claim that he (Oba) advised him against the choice of Godwin Obaseki to succeed Oshiomhole as governor in 2016.
The former labour leader and now Senator representing Edo North in the National Assembly, had, in company with the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and the newly elected governor of Edo State, Monday Okpebholo, and other top members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, visited the Oba shortly after INEC announced Okpebholo as winner of the gubernatorial election.
Speaking at the palace, Oshiomhole reminded the Oba that he had advised him against picking Obaseki as his successor in 2016 but he declined.
“Your Royal Majesty, I would like to remain on my knees, first to apologise to Your Majesty for my poor judgment, when, in spite of your clear advice to the contrary, I stubbornly, and wrongly supported a man, who I thought, being a Benin man, will respect the tradition, the custom, the heritage, the brilliance and creativity and the respect for tradition by any logical man that claims a Benin man, when I presented Obaseki to you, against your advice.”
However, Oba Ewuare swiftly countered Oshiomhole’s claim, saying he never made such a statement, and never expressed disapproval of the choice of Obaseki as governor.
“When you brought Obaseki to me, I did not say anything. You know I said I won’t say so much here. I told them. And I will try to restrain myself. Because anything that will bring any issue with my son Akpakomisa (Okpebholo’s appellation), I want to avoid it.
“But I have to correct it when you say ‘against my advice’. I never said anything against Obaseki when you brought him. You will recall, this one (the Oba pointed to the former chairman of the Edo State Board of Internal Revenue, Elemah, a bosom friend of Oshiomhole) is your witness when you brought him to introduce him to me. You talked about how Odubu (Oshiomhole’s deputy governor) voted against my father’s choice.,” the Oba insisted.
