Features
Okpebholo's sly betrayal of Benin heritage amid Oba's Iyaloja rebuke
Written By: Alaba Lambert
09 Oct 2025 01:44 AM
Benin, Edo – In a brazen display of cultural colonialism, the Palace of the Oba of Benin delivered a thunderous rejection of the "Iyaloja" title's infiltration into the state's sacred market system, exposing Governor Monday Okpebholo's insidious complicity in this assault on Edo's ancestral soul.
What began as a high-society charade at Government House has devolved into a full-blown crisis, with the revered Oba Ewuare II standing as the unyielding guardian of Benin traditions against the governor's covert orchestration of Yoruba-tinged meddling.
The controversy erupted on September 30 when Folashade Tinubu-Ojo, daughter of President Bola Tinubu and self-styled Iyaloja-General of Nigerian market women, presided over the pompous inauguration of Pastor Josephine Ibhaguezejele as "Iyaloja-General" of Edo State.
Flanked by state functionaries, including Edesiri Okpebholo-Anani, Coordinator of the Office of the First Lady – a direct extension of Governor Okpebholo's inner circle – the event unfolded with all the subtlety of a political coup dressed in market garb.
This was no mere courtesy call; it was a calculated imposition, hosted under the governor's roof, signaling his tacit endorsement of an alien title that mocks the very essence of Benin identity.
Oba Ewuare II, the custodian of a kingdom whose cultural depth predates the modern contrivances of Abuja's power plays, wasted no time in dismantling this farce.
During Tinubu-Ojo's subsequent palace visit, the monarch declared the Iyaloja concept "alien to us here in Benin," emphasizing that the home of culture – not some imported socio-political club – recognizes only the IyEki.
Daily South Nigeria understands that in Benin, each market – from the bustling Oba to the historic Ogiso – is sovereign under its own Iyeki, a palace-confirmed leader who performs sacred rites at market shrines, bridging commerce with the spirits of ancestors.
"The novelty of a general Iyeki is alien to Benin custom," the Oba asserted through Chief Osaro Idah, underscoring that no single overlord can lord over these hallowed grounds.
The palace's follow-up statement, issued by the Benin Traditional Council on October 7, lambasted the move as "antithetical and inimical to the essence of market tradition," warning of peace disruptions if politicians persist in exploiting market women as pawns.
Elected on promises of Edo renewal, his administration has instead become the enabler of this cultural sabotage. By allowing Government House to serve as the stage for Tinubu-Ojo's installation – complete with state-backed fanfare – Okpebholo has subtly greenlit the erosion of Benin norms, prioritizing federal brownie points over the throne's sovereignty.
His wife's office coordinator, Edesiri Okpebholo-Anani, stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the installers, a glaring emblem of the governor's household entanglement in this affront.
Is this the "subtle allowing" of Iyaloja? Absolutely – a whisper of permission that roars like betrayal in the ears of Edo's forebears.
Okpebholo's track record only amplifies the hypocrisy. Barely weeks into his tenure, following the contentious September 21, 2024, governorship polls, whispers of market politicking swirled around attempts to oust entrenched leaders like Mrs. Blacky Ogiamen, accused of PDP leanings.
Now, with Iyaloja's shadow looming, market women – the economic backbone of Edo – are being herded into partisan traps, their loyalties auctioned off to the highest bidder from Lagos. The palace's query cuts deep: If Iyaloja is a "national" fixture, why not foist it on Aba, Kano, or Sokoto? The answer is plain: It's a selective poison, tailored to undermine Benin's unyielding cultural fortress under Okpebholo's indifferent gaze.
The backlash has been swift and searing. On October 7, throngs of market women stormed the palace in jubilant solidarity, hailing Oba Ewuare II as their true protector and decrying the Iyaloja push as a "taboo" and "negation of Benin tradition."
Groups like the Aiguobasomwin Movement Worldwide echoed the call, insisting only Benin indigenes can embody the Iyeki's spiritual mantle – a non-Benin appointee like Ibhaguezejele is not just unqualified but profane.
Protests from the Edo State Market Women Association labeled the installation an "injustice," with voices rising against the governor's role in dragging the Oba's sanctity into electoral mudslinging.
Governor Okpebholo, your silence is damning. This is no oversight; it's a deliberate dalliance with cultural dilution, a subtle nod to federal overlords that sacrifices Edo pride on the altar of ambition. The Oba has drawn the line – will you cross it, or finally honor the throne that crowns your legitimacy?
Benin watches, seethes, and demands: Retract this Iyaloja farce, or etch your name in the annals of traitors, even as Edo women, the unbowed sentinels of trade, deserve leaders who defend, not dismantle, their legacy.
Governor Okpebholo, the ball – and the burden of infamy – is in your court.
What began as a high-society charade at Government House has devolved into a full-blown crisis, with the revered Oba Ewuare II standing as the unyielding guardian of Benin traditions against the governor's covert orchestration of Yoruba-tinged meddling.
The controversy erupted on September 30 when Folashade Tinubu-Ojo, daughter of President Bola Tinubu and self-styled Iyaloja-General of Nigerian market women, presided over the pompous inauguration of Pastor Josephine Ibhaguezejele as "Iyaloja-General" of Edo State.
Flanked by state functionaries, including Edesiri Okpebholo-Anani, Coordinator of the Office of the First Lady – a direct extension of Governor Okpebholo's inner circle – the event unfolded with all the subtlety of a political coup dressed in market garb.
This was no mere courtesy call; it was a calculated imposition, hosted under the governor's roof, signaling his tacit endorsement of an alien title that mocks the very essence of Benin identity.
Oba Ewuare II, the custodian of a kingdom whose cultural depth predates the modern contrivances of Abuja's power plays, wasted no time in dismantling this farce.
During Tinubu-Ojo's subsequent palace visit, the monarch declared the Iyaloja concept "alien to us here in Benin," emphasizing that the home of culture – not some imported socio-political club – recognizes only the IyEki.
Daily South Nigeria understands that in Benin, each market – from the bustling Oba to the historic Ogiso – is sovereign under its own Iyeki, a palace-confirmed leader who performs sacred rites at market shrines, bridging commerce with the spirits of ancestors.
"The novelty of a general Iyeki is alien to Benin custom," the Oba asserted through Chief Osaro Idah, underscoring that no single overlord can lord over these hallowed grounds.
The palace's follow-up statement, issued by the Benin Traditional Council on October 7, lambasted the move as "antithetical and inimical to the essence of market tradition," warning of peace disruptions if politicians persist in exploiting market women as pawns.
Elected on promises of Edo renewal, his administration has instead become the enabler of this cultural sabotage. By allowing Government House to serve as the stage for Tinubu-Ojo's installation – complete with state-backed fanfare – Okpebholo has subtly greenlit the erosion of Benin norms, prioritizing federal brownie points over the throne's sovereignty.
His wife's office coordinator, Edesiri Okpebholo-Anani, stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the installers, a glaring emblem of the governor's household entanglement in this affront.
Is this the "subtle allowing" of Iyaloja? Absolutely – a whisper of permission that roars like betrayal in the ears of Edo's forebears.
Okpebholo's track record only amplifies the hypocrisy. Barely weeks into his tenure, following the contentious September 21, 2024, governorship polls, whispers of market politicking swirled around attempts to oust entrenched leaders like Mrs. Blacky Ogiamen, accused of PDP leanings.
Now, with Iyaloja's shadow looming, market women – the economic backbone of Edo – are being herded into partisan traps, their loyalties auctioned off to the highest bidder from Lagos. The palace's query cuts deep: If Iyaloja is a "national" fixture, why not foist it on Aba, Kano, or Sokoto? The answer is plain: It's a selective poison, tailored to undermine Benin's unyielding cultural fortress under Okpebholo's indifferent gaze.
The backlash has been swift and searing. On October 7, throngs of market women stormed the palace in jubilant solidarity, hailing Oba Ewuare II as their true protector and decrying the Iyaloja push as a "taboo" and "negation of Benin tradition."
Groups like the Aiguobasomwin Movement Worldwide echoed the call, insisting only Benin indigenes can embody the Iyeki's spiritual mantle – a non-Benin appointee like Ibhaguezejele is not just unqualified but profane.
Protests from the Edo State Market Women Association labeled the installation an "injustice," with voices rising against the governor's role in dragging the Oba's sanctity into electoral mudslinging.
Governor Okpebholo, your silence is damning. This is no oversight; it's a deliberate dalliance with cultural dilution, a subtle nod to federal overlords that sacrifices Edo pride on the altar of ambition. The Oba has drawn the line – will you cross it, or finally honor the throne that crowns your legitimacy?
Benin watches, seethes, and demands: Retract this Iyaloja farce, or etch your name in the annals of traitors, even as Edo women, the unbowed sentinels of trade, deserve leaders who defend, not dismantle, their legacy.
Governor Okpebholo, the ball – and the burden of infamy – is in your court.
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