APC, Ize-Iyamu And Oshiomole's Supporters Committed Abomination For Attacking Oba Ewaure II Guests At The Royal Palace On Saturday July 26

By Fred Latimore Esq.

Never in the political history of Edo State and Benin Kingdom has any group or individuals gather in from of the ancient Benin Kingdom Royal palace gates to harass, intimidate and unlawfully assault scheduled visitors and guests of the highly respected Oba of Benin.

This is politics taken too far and it will not be out of place for the Benin Traditional Council and His Royal Majesty, Omo N,Oba N'Edo Uku Okpolokpolo, Umogun Oba Ewuare II, the Oba of Benin to invoke sanctions on the perpetrators of this rare sacrilege, no matter their social status and political influence in the state and in Nigeria. No Edo man or woman is greater than the ancient Crown of Benin Kingdom.

Your wealth and political influence does not extend to Oba's royal palace. The palace gates and walls remained sacred forever and no Edo man or woman is permitted to cause mayhem around the palace walls and Gates. Never!

Sponsoring supporters to obstruct Royal activities at the palace amounts to absolute disrespect for the crown and the legendary Benin Traditional Council; a serious offence that cannot be swept under the carpet, not during the progressive reign of Oba Ewuare II, a Royal father reputed for high standard of discipline, equity and justice in the administration of the highly respected ancient kingdom.

Video clips of the attacks on Oba of Benin guests revealed that some of the attackers cum thugs wore POI branded T-Shirts and Face Caps, indicating that they were APC and Ize-Iyamu sponsored thugs paid to cause pandemonium at the Royal entrance Gates of the Oba of Benin Palace. It is also obvious that PDP supporters could not have gone to the palace to disrupt their own scheduled royal visit to Oba Ewuare II.

In an attempt to avoid the unavoidable penalty that will soon befall the APC and its ratified Governorship candidate, Mr Osagie Ize-Iyamu, the party foolishly issued a press statement signed by Osagie Ize-Iyamu Campaign Media Chairman, Mr John Mayaki, alleging that Edo people went to the Oba's palace to reject PDP and her Governorship candidate, His Excellency Godwin Obaseki.

To say the least, such unfounded allegation does not add up, it fractured commonsense and native intelligence because Edo people can only reject any party Governorship  candidate at the polls on September 19 and not at the royal gates of Oba Palace during a scheduled visit of PDP and her leaders to Oba Ewuare II on Saturday July 26.

It was not an election day, therefore how can Edo people reject a governorship candidate at the Oba Palace gates. No governorship election was conducted by INEC at the Oba of Benin palace gate on July 26, 2020. How did APC and Ize-Iyamu campaign office arrive at their rejection claim against Governor Godwin Obaseki and PDP? Something is not right. Fear of defeat is already driving Ize-Iyamu and Adams Oshiomole crazy, to say the least.

This dangerous signal coming from the APC, Adams Oshiomole, Osagie Ize-Iyamu and their political associates negates the tenets and universal principles of constitutional democracy and civilized political engagement during electioneering campaigns. Brut force and political thuggery have been Ize-Iyamu's trade mark from his dreaded years at the University of Benin and through political engagements from 1999 till date.

As for Ize-Iyamu, why call yourself a Pastor when it is obvious from your unholy political activities and financial crimes that you are not a born again Christian as rightly claimed by Oshiomole in 2016, when he referred to you (now APC ratified candidate) as a fake pastor.

It will be recalled that in 2016, Adams Oshiomole raised alarm that some armed thugs were arrested in certain hotels and they confessed that they were in Benin and across the state for the governorship election on the invitation of Osagie Ize-Iyamu, then a governorship candidate of PDP. The thugs were fully armed with AK 47 Raffles and Pump Action Guns, prompting INEC to postpone the Edo 2016 governorship election to enable security agencies to comb the state and force flush out hired thugs before the elections. Gov Obaseki must do the needful before September 19.

The abominable incident that took place today at the royal gates of Oba Palace points to the fact that APC, Oshiomole and Ize-Iyamu's armed dreaded thugs will set Edo State ablaze and cause blood to flow freely across the state on September 19. Therefore, the federal government, the Inspector General of Police and Heads of other security agencies must of a necessity put on their thinking caps and save Edo State from political brutality, reckless killings and mayhem on election day.

The security agencies and the federal government as well as the Edo State Commissioner of Police must not compromise and play dirty politics with the lives of Edo eligible voters on election day. They must be seen to have exercised their constitutional and legitimate functions without bias, fear or favour.

It is very clear that Oshiomole and Ize-Iyamu as well as their political associates will come out on election day like wounded Lions to harass, intimidate and kill harmless eligible voters and INEC ad-hoc staff mandated to conduct the voting exercise on September 19.

Seven key scenarios are to be considered in the attack on the guests of Oba Ewuare II on Saturday July 26, as follows;

1. The APC and Ize-Iyamu supporters were not on any scheduled appointment with Oba Ewuare on the same date and time along with the scheduled appointment approved by the Oba of Benin for PDP and her leaders on Saturday July 26. Their visit became suspicious and laced with criminal intents.

2. The assemblage of the APC, Oshiomole and Ize-Iyamu supporters at the palace gate without the approval of Oba Ewuare and the Benin Traditional Council, and the subsequent criminal attacks on the Oba's guests amounted to absolute disregard for the Crown and the Royal palace as well as the Benin Traditional Council. It is obvious that the gathering of APC, Oshiomole and Ize-Iyamu's supporters at the royal gates of the Oba Palace was a deliberate attempt to unleash mayhem on the palace and the guests of the Oba of Benin Kingdom.

3. It is crystal clear that PDP and Gov Obaseki's supporters could not have attacked the very party leaders they accompanied on a scheduled visit to Oba of Benin. The lacuna which APC and Ize-Iyamu and their  supporters must explain is; what were they doing in front of the Oba of Benin royal gates on a day the Benin Monarch was receiving the leaders of PDP and the party governorship candidate, HE Godwin Obaseki? They must provide answer to this question.

4. Is it the tradition in Benin Kingdom that any group or group of supporters can assemble in from of Oba Palace royal gates to beat drums, dance and intimidate scheduled visitors of the Oba and the royal family?

It is obvious that Oba Ewuare II did not instruct APC members, Oshiomole and Ize-Iyamu supporters to gather in front of the palace to beat drums and dance to Akwete or Awillo ballads while he was receiving his guests -  PDP leaders and Gov Obaseki and his deputy.

5. If APC and Ize-Iyamu supporters want to intimidate PDP and Obaseki, why should it take place at the Oba's palace? Or were they trying to say that the Oba Palace belong to APC, Oshiomole and Ize-Iyamu? Why did they gather at the royal gates when their gathering was not authorized by Oba Ewuare II and the Benin Traditional Council?

6. Can Adams Oshiomole, Ize-Iyamu and their political associates succeed in intimidating and harassing Edo people, PDP and Obaseki to win the September 19 governorship election? Will politics of extreme bitterness, primitive retaliation  and mayhem give APC and Ize-Iyamu victory on September 19?

7. Is it possible for the brave and fearless Edo people that we know submit in fear and helplessness to the AK 47 fire power of APC, Oshiomole and Ize-Iyamu thugs on election day as can be seen from the disgusting sacrilege that took place in front of the royal palace gates of the ancient Crown on Saturday July 26?

The above scenarios and questions will no doubt  and to a large extent prepare Edo people, the PDP and Godwin Obaseki ahead of the September 19 governorship election. No stone should be left unturned. It is obvious that APC, Oshiomole, Ize-Iyamu and their political associates shall deploy heavily armed and heartless thugs to prosecute their selfish electioneering and voting strategies on election day. Be prepared to detonate their arsenals.

To enter a strongman's house, you must first bind his hand and foot. The APC, Ize-Iyamu, Oshiomole, their political supporters and associates will use this ancient warfare strategy on election day. Be prepared and I say again, be prepared.

The unholy and laughable reunion of the two political cats; Osagie Ize-Iyamu and Adams Oshiomole is certainly not for the interest of Edo people and obviously not for the advancement and development of Edo State. The reasons behind Oshiomole's sudden twist to market Ize-Iyamu which he referred to in 2016 as a looter, occultist and a fake Pastor that should never be trusted with Edo State treasury, remained a mystery which Edo people cannot comprehend, hence their best choice ever is Godwin Obaseki and PDP.

Finally, Edo people are ever wiser than the two small brains and native intelligence of Adams Oshiomole and Ize-Iyamu. Both are men of questionable character, disgusting liars and shameless political gladiators ready at any time to compromise on a large scale as far as looting Edo treasury is concerned.

Osagie Ize-Iyamu and Adams Oshiomole are unscrupulous in words and in governance which is why their senseless conspiracy against Edo State treasury and Edo people will fail woefully. As the Lord liveth, they shall not be able to perform the evil enterprise of their hands.

Obaseki is the choice of Edo people, PDP is the party.