‘’Do You Want To Turn Benin, Edo State To City Of Blood?’’ – Oba Of Benin To Oshimhole, Obaseki & Others In Face Of Violence Rocking Edo 2020 Guber Campaigns

Charles Oyelesi

The Oba of Benin, Ewuare 11 is not happy with the recent developments in Edo State, particularly Benin the capital.

The State has been engulfed in the different shades of violence ahead of the Saturday, September 19 Edo Gubernatorial Election.

The highly revered Oba on Wednesday, September 2, 2020, held a peace meeting at his palace to resolve the conflicts that birthed the violence rocking Edo State.

Oba Ewuare 11, who was very forthright his presentation on the need for a resolution of the conflicts to allow for a peaceful campaign and gubernatorial election, at a point, asked the politicians whether they want to turn ‘’Benin, Edo state in general’’ to a ‘’city of blood’’ in the face of the spate of growing violence.

‘’It is not a do or die affair. Benin city was once called a city of blood, by a foreign author none of us want to call it that here, is that what you want to turn Benin city, Edo state in general.’’ Oba Ewuare asked the politicians at the peace meeting.

Among those at the meeting called by royalty are Comrade Adams Oshimhole- the former national chairman of All Progressives Congress( APC), Osagie Ize-Iyamu- the gubernatorial candidate of the APC who crossed over from rival People’s Democratic Party(PDP), Godwin Obaseki – the reelection seeking Governor of Edo state who defected to the PDP from the APC to achieve his ambition, Philip Shuaibu – Obaseki’s Deputy who defected with the Governor to PDP and retained his spot and all other stakeholders in the political fight and John Oyegun – Oshiomhole’s predecessor as APC National Chairman.

The checks made by societynow.ng revealed that Oba Ewuare was making reference to the 1897 book by Sir Reginald Bacon on Benin Empire titled ‘’City Of Blood’’ at the peace meeting.

Sir Reginald Bacon served as a member of the British ‘’punitive’’ expedition to Benin and documented his experience(s) in the book ‘’City Of Blood’’.