Oba of Benin Sparks Controversy, Claims Governor Okpebholo Was “Sent by Ancestors” to Rescue Edo State

A wave of political and cultural debate has erupted following a bold declaration by the Oba of Benin, Ewuare II, who claimed that the ancestors of the Benin Kingdom personally chose Governor Monday Okpebholo to “restore the lost glory” of Edo State — a statement that has raised eyebrows across political, religious, and civil society circles.

The Oba made the dramatic proclamation during Governor Okpebholo’s visit to his palace in celebration of his tribunal victory, which upheld his election win. In an unusual public gesture, the monarch not only blessed the governor but physically lifted him from his kneeling position — a rare act seen as a powerful spiritual endorsement.

“Our ancestors brought you to restore the lost glory of Edo State, which evildoers wanted to ruin,” Oba Ewuare declared in Edo language. “Your journey to Edo, our ancestors approved it. It shall be well with you, your wife, and children.”

While the statement has been hailed by loyalists as a divine confirmation of Okpebholo’s mandate, critics have condemned it as politically loaded and dangerously blurring the line between traditional authority and state governance.

“It’s deeply troubling when spiritual endorsements begin to validate political office,” said a civil rights advocate. “Are we now choosing leaders based on ancestral revelations instead of democratic process?”

Religious leaders have also expressed concern, arguing that invoking ancestral spirits in state affairs risks alienating citizens of diverse beliefs in a multi-religious nation.

Governor Okpebholo, for his part, embraced the Oba’s support, calling the tribunal’s unanimous judgment the “sweetest ever” and a sign of divine justice.

But with tensions still simmering from the election and legal battles, the monarch’s public blessing has left many questioning whether traditional institutions are overstepping — or whether political leaders are exploiting spiritual legitimacy to consolidate power.

In Edo, where tradition runs deep and politics even deeper, the line between throne and government just got a lot blurrier.