By SIMON EBEGBULEM, BENIN CITY

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 the comments credited to him, that the Oba of Benin played a role in the success of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in the just concluded general elections.

Meanwhile, the faction of the PDP in the state led by Dr Samuel Ogbemudia/Admiral Mike Akhigbe, yesterday, disassociated itself from the comments by the PDP leader, describing it as “comments which tended to degrade the person of the revered Benin monarch”, adding that it was irresponsible and must be disregarded by members of the public.

Imasogie had, in an interview in a national daily (not Vanguard), claimed that the Binis were influenced through the palace of the Oba to support ACN in the general elections.

In a statement  by the Secretary of the Benin Traditional Council (BTC), Frank Irabor, the palace described as unfortunate that Imasogie would attribute the defeat of the PDP to the palace of the revered monarch, and reminded him that the people of the state voted for the performing party and not the influence of anybody.

The statement said it would be sad for the PDP leader to pretend that he does not know what is good for the people of the state, saying that such pretence will not make him a good politician.

According to the statement, “It is a known fact that the Oba of Benin is not a politician and different political parties that have come to him for advice and blessings can attest to his fatherly advice. What happened during the last general elections was the peoples’ judgment and not undue influence as Imasogie tried to tell the world.”