Apologise in seven days, Oba of Benin tells Edo PDP

Posted by admin Edo, Party Politics, Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP), State News Sunday, July 3rd, 2011

The Palace of the Oba of Benin has given a seven-day ultimatum to a leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State, Owere Dickson Imasogie, to tender unreserved apology to the Benin monarch over a statement credited to him that the Oba influenced the victory of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in the April 2011 elections.

Imasogie had, in an interview last Tuesday, attributed the cause of the poor performance of the PDP in the elections to “undue influence,” adding that “all the Enogies went about telling the people that they got messages from His Royal Majesty, the Oba of Benin, through Governor Adams Oshiomhole, that they must vote ACN all through.”

However, a statement signed by the Secretary to the Benin Traditional Council (BTC), Frank Irabor, said it was unfortunate that Imasogie would attribute PDP’s loss to the palace, reminding him that the people voted for a performing party.

The statement said it would be sad for the PDP leader to pretend that he did not know what was good for the people of the state.

“It is a known fact that the Oba of Benin is not a politician and different political parties that have come to him for blessings can attest to his fatherly advice.

“What happened during the last general election was the peoples’ judgment, and not undue influence as Imasogie tried to tell the world,” the statement said.

-Tribunewp_posts