BENIN CITY, Nigeria — The Peoples Democratic Party in Edo State has condemned what it described as a cultural affront to the Oba of Benin after a non-Benin woman was said to have inaugurated market leadership positions in Benin Kingdom.
The Oba, regarded as the custodian of Benin native law and tradition, has dismissed the “Iyalọja” leadership model as foreign to Benin culture.
“The Oba of Benin is custodian of our culture, history and heritage. Any act that disrespects the Palace is an act of disrespect to every Edo man and woman,” PDP spokesman Dan Osa-Ogbegie said in a statement Thursday.
The party accused Governor Monday Okpebholo’s administration of allowing the event to take place with the “apparent connivance or complacency” of state officials. It said Edo people “deserve to know who authorised or facilitated the event in Government House, and under whose instruction the Palace was disrespected.”
PDP leaders insisted that market leadership in Benin is chosen by market women and confirmed by the Palace, not “parachuted in by outsiders.” They also described the chanting of non-Edo songs and incantations during the event as “acts of cultural insensitivity” that violated the dignity of the Oba.
Calling the episode a “political test,” the party demanded a public apology to the Oba, a reaffirmation of the Palace’s authority over market institutions, and a formal pledge that no market leaders will be appointed without Palace consultation. It also urged an independent review of the role of the First Lady’s office and Government House protocol in staging the event.
“We call on all Edos — men and women, old and young, at home and in the diaspora — to rally in defense of our heritage,” the statement said. “Any administration that treats our culture with contempt will meet with the determined, peaceful and principled resistance of our people.”
