Edo Election: Obaseki’s grand dad betrayed Benin Kingdom, say critics.
By Joseph Igiebor

Ahead of the gubernatorial election in Edo State, opposition groups have mounted intensive campaign against the All Progressives Congress,(APC) candidate Mr Obaseki. The election which had earlier been postponed comes up on September 28, a weekday.
Critics have launched fierce campaigns against Mr Godwin Obaseki pointing to alleged ignoble role his grandfather, Chief Agho Obaseki was alleged to have played at a critical moment in the history of Benin Kingdom.
“He is the son of a traitor. He also bears the name Philips, the British who betrayed the Benin and whose soldiers killed many of our people in 1897. We cannot trust him as the custodian of the modern Benin Empire” Mr Osase Kunu told Irohinoodua this morning. He said some traditional groups in Benin have launched a house-to-house campaign against Obaseki to ensure an overwhelming defeat for the APC candidate. He said that apart from the role allegedly linked to his grandfather, Obaseki also bears the name Philips, a grim reminder of one James Robert Philips who led the first British military attack on Benin Empire while Oba Ovonramwem was the King.
Oba Ovonramwen Nogbaisi was the Oba of Benin in 1888. At the end of the 19th century, the Kingdom of Benin continued to flourish in commerce and culture. The Kingdom had ambassadors in some foreign nations and was without British intransigence.
However, during the Oba’s reign, the British were desperate to capture and dominate the Kingdom. One James Robert Phillips, the British Vice-Consul invaded Benin Kingdom under the reign of Oba Nogbaisi. The Oba’s infantry soldiers had ambushed the Phillips expedition and all but two of the British soldiers were killed by the Benin soldiers. The British Empire reinforced from Britain and launched a second attack leading to the overthrow of Ovonramwen who though put up a historic resistance. The British soldiers burnt down the Benin palace and carted away art valuables. Several civilians including women and children were also killed. Oba Ovonramwen was to be killed, but he escaped. He was captured and isolated in Calabar. During the intrigues that led to the invasion of the palace, Chief Obaseki was said to have helped the British in the second attack which led to the defeat of the Benin soldiers. Chief Obaseki was then the Head of Administration when Oba Ovonwarem was exiled.
The cynical campaign is the conscious attempt to link the APC candidate with the ignoble role Chief Obaseki and Phillips were said to have played at a critical moment in Benin history.
However, an APC official Mr Samuel Iyare told Irohinoodua that the campaign was being orchestrated by the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP). ‘Its an attempt to give a dog a bad name in order to hang it. His name is Godwin, not Phillips. It is now clear that Obaseki will defeat Mr Ize Iyamu. They have resorted to cheap propaganda to score political points” , he said. He told Irohinoodua that Obaseki’s grandfather played a key role in stabilizing the Benin Kingdom. “The name Obaseki in Benin is synonymous with honour and integrity. The Obaseki family is homourable. It is a princely name that no one can bastardise using political weapons.” He said most Benin people are aware of the golden image of the Obaseki family and will not be troubled by PDP’s campaigns of calumny.

PDP in Edo are afraid of the coming election WHY now,let dat day cum

APC,the moving train