…PDP victory as a threat to Benin monarchy before Obaseki bans Odionwere tradition
By Sebastine Ebhuomhan
The Commissioner of Police, Edo State Police Command, Nigeria Police Force, Mr. Funsho Adegboye, has confirmed the prosecution of one Olu Martins for offences of criminal incitement and threats to public peace.
Martins, a former students union leader and self-styled human rights activist, is the founder and pastor-in-charge of HillCity Christian Centre in Benin City. He is the Deputy Director of Media and Publicity of the Ighodalo Campaign Organisation of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State, on whose behalf he was seen in a video in public domain addressing a clandestine meeting of unidentified people suspected to be cultists at an undisclosed location in the night.
In the video, Martins urged the Director of Edo State Security Network (ESSN), David Olukoga, to vandalize opposition campaign materials. Quoting the video, he said, “Those who leave the party create vacancy. The ones we can beg, we will beg. The ones we can’t beg, when we meet them in a corner, we’ll beat them. Sorry I am a pastor. How did Akpata banner get to Ring Road? Can you put the banner of another party like that in Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos where Tinubu is? Where MC Oluomo is?
“From the days of John the Baptist, the Kingdom of God suffers violence; and the violent take it by force. Who does not know will know; and who does not know will kpeme.” Kpeme is a euphemism for the verb, die.
The video attracted widespread outrage and condemnation, including a terse statement from the All Progressives Congress (APC), calling for Martins’ arrest and prosecution, addressed to the Inspector-General of Police and the Director-General of the Department of State Security. Personally signed by Edo APC Chairman, Mr. Jarret Tenebe, the statement particularly accused: Martins of violent conducts, vandalizing opposition campaign materials at night, and anarchy; the PDP of a desperation, registration of minors, and of parading a candidate with a history of cultism. The APC pledged to ensure peaceful and free election.
According to the police boss, who did not state whether the accused and his accomplices were investigated or not, the prosecution serves as a deterrent.
The criminal utterances of the PDP spokesman, who is suspected to be heading a nest of killers within the state party, came on the heels of deadly, unrestrained and continuous violent clashes of cult groups on the streets of Edo State, which casualty Governor Godwin Obaseki put at over 150 corpses between January and May 2024. Martins spoke after the total destruction of the billboards of the Labour Party candidate, Mr. Olumide Akpata, who accused agents of the PDP of responsibility, just like his disrupted UNIBEN address. Although Akpata might be challenged by the non-acceptance of his running mate yet by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), whose portal still carries the name and picture of LP placeholder, the wanton destruction of his billboards surpasses any other pains. Owing to the harvest of deaths from cultism, Obaseki, following a closed-door meeting with heads of security agencies in Edo State announced a ban on the activities of Okaighele (community youth), an age-long traditional administrative structure of age grades of active youth appointed by the head of Benin Traditional Kingdom, Oba Ewuare the 2nd, through delegated power to assist Odionwere (village head) in the day-to-day administration of a community for peaceful, harmonious and developmental coexistence.
Admitting failure, Obaseki said, “From the security management report which was considered in our security meeting, we still have a nagging issue in Edo State which is cultism. The incidence of cultism is very high. What is particularly worrisome about cultism is the related homicide that goes with cult-related activities. From January to date (June 3rd, 2024), we have lost over 150 people to cult-related activities and homicide.”
“We have set up a special task force of the security council headed by the Director of DSS that from tonight review every cult-related occurrence in the state. We will look at all the data, incidents, perpetrators, and those behind these activities, and will make all resources available and leave no stone unturned.”
“Related to cult activities are the activities of Okaigheles in Edo South. The council has prohibited forthwith activities of Okaigheles in Edo State. Anybody who claims he is an Okaighele, operating in any community will be dealt with strictly by the law,” Obaseki threatened. More cultists have died since then.
In the absence of consultation, without a proper factual relationship of Okaighele to cultism, and failure of the Edo State Anti-Cultism Law of 2000, the indiscriminate ban violates Sections 40 and 41 of the Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria which guarantee citizens’ rights to freedom of assembly, association, and movement. It has expectedly pitched Governor Obaseki, once again, against Oba Ewuare. Observers and commentators say the governor has tacitly extended his onslaught against the monarch and Benin Traditional Council aimed at weakening his authority and influence ahead of the governorship election following failed attempts to covet and divert the kingdom’s returned artefacts and cash.
The Okaigheles soon gathered to protest at the palace, where they expressed shock at Obaseki’s ban. They denied the cult tag. They were received by Oba Ewuare, who, speaking through the Obazelu of Benin, Chief Osaro Idah, a senior palace chief declared, “You have not been banned.” Idah expressed shock at the link of Okaighele to cultism, reiterated palace denouncement of cultism, and promised dialogue with the government in a statement signed by the monarch’s spokesman, Mr. Osaigbovo Iguobaro.
Barely had the dusts of the palace statement settled than Edo State government insisted Okaighele tradition remained banned. The Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Mr. Chris Nehikhare emphasized, “these two groups, Okaigheles and cultists, pose the most severe threat to the security and stability of the state.”
Differing to the government stand, the APC asserted, “We are aware that Governor Obaseki’s decision to unilaterally ban them without recourse to the Benin Palace and the traditional authority that appointed them in the first place or even the state legislature is informed by his plan to give free space to the cult-infested Edo State Security Network to subvert the September 21, 2024 governorship election.”
The governor’s grandstand has since given rise to new fears on the streets of Benin City. There is palpable fear that Obaseki is planning to ban the Odionwere tradition to further clip the monarch and traditional council’s power, authority and influence in the seven local government areas of Edo South. With about 45 per cent of registered voters, the largest of the three districts, Edo South is the epicentre of political war!
As the election draws nearer, experts say Obaseki would ban the Odionweres as he banned Okaigheles under the cloak of uprooting cultism and outlaw them. Justifying this assertion, an observer who spoke anonymously, referred doubters to the rebellious past of the governor. The government’s silence only fuels the anxiety. Likewise, the graveyard silence trailing allegations of government officials at different levels linked to cultism. It remains to be seen how a government whose leadership is reeling in cultism, sinking in nepotism, steeped in injustice, governing by falsehoods, wallowing in mismanagement, burdened by debts, defined by ingratitude, and notorious for bullying can successfully eradicate cultism.
Publicly arguing his case in a post, a lawyer, Mr. Nosa Igbinosun named a highly ranked cabinet member of the government as “a known cultist.” He challenged Governor Obaseki to focus on his government’s cult affiliations and stop fighting culture and traditions under the guise of tackling cultism.
Others advised the government to refrain from the injustice of land grabbing to avert more problems like the condemnable attack launched by armed youth against Nigeria Army personnel at Okomu.
For voters, issues of the 2024 governorship elections and choosing who to elect are crystal clear. The APC candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has reiterated that he would respect traditional institutions even as he tackles vices. His PDP counterpart, Asuerinme Akintunde Ighodalo, said he would continue from where Obaseki stops. Ighodalo’s body-language and statements thus raise fears of ‘third term’ and continuation of anti-people policies. When these fears are related to individual history, trait, background, antecedent, aspiration, party, policies, promoters, and plans, experts strongly worry for the future of the revered Benin Kingdom monarchy.
Analytically, Ighodalo’s administration would depose Oba Ewuare in continuation of the present hostility of the Obaseki administration; depose other similar kings; and create parallel traditional stools, if he wins Edo governorship election. He would seek full and unchallenged custody of Benin kingdom’s artefacts which a royal deposition would easily secure in line with his promise to ‘study to know’ those artefacts to be given back to the palace. For a party that was accused of denying the monarchy it’s constitutional entitlements years ago and which still held on to it again last year, Ighodalo would prioritise a stronghold of Edo State’s political future for an easy re-election and transfer of power, not minding the monumental crisis this action could cause.
Considering these issues, experts urge electorate to make a careful inventory of the two candidates beyond ability to prattle, lie, confuse, deceive, scam and indulge in vices coated as smartness.
For Ighodalo, who rarely associated with ordinary citizens of Edo State until after obtaining the PDP ticket in February 2024, who has never voted until he registered in May, and whose boardroom leadership has become questionable owing to the unhealthy positions of some organisations he led, voters must be wary. Do Edo people want to see their kings deposed? Do they want to see more cult-related bloodshed? Do they want to see more fake MOUs? Do they want to see their state crushed by debts? Do they want to suffer more infrastructural deficits, floods and erosion? Do they want to see more strangers imported to government in place of qualified local indigenes? Do they want to see more capital flight? If they do not want any of these, they must vote against Obaseki, Ighodalo and the PDP!
As a man of few words, humility, simplicity, respect, patience, honesty, courage, and action, Okpebholo never claims to be what he is not. Before election as a lawmaker, he lived with his people, communicated with them without an interpreter, suffered their pains as a community member, and assuaged them with basic amenities as a leader. He transformed into an alternative government after election. As a serving senator from Edo State with both bill and motions, even his traducers agree his governorship project has not stopped him from representing Edo Central at the National Assembly excellently.
With a manifesto of Five-Point Agenda: Security, Agriculture, Health, Infrastructure, and Road Construction, situated upon an anticipated declaration of emergency in critical sectors (the subject of my next report), Okpebholo’s homeboy status, connectivity to people, grassroots development commitment, strategic economic vision, dependable legislative experience, transparency and accountability, make him the best choice for Edo State governor. Vote for Okpebholo on Saturday, September 21st 2024.