The Oba of Benin, Omo N’Oba N’Edo Uku’Akpolokpolo Oba Ewuare II, has called for continuity in governance, saying there is no reason to seek change simply for the sake of changing the government.
The monarch spoke on Tuesday when the Director-General of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council, Abdulaziz Yari, led members of the council to the Benin Palace.
The delegation was in Benin to seek royal blessings, prayers and support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2027 re-election campaign.
The Oba said the Benin Palace remained politically neutral and stressed that his remarks should not be interpreted as formal support for a political party.
“The Benin throne is not partisan,” the monarch said, according to reports of his remarks. He added that there was no point seeking change for the sake of change.
His comments were made in the context of a political delegation seeking support for Tinubu’s second-term bid, although the monarch explicitly maintained the political neutrality of the palace.
Yari’s visit is part of the APC campaign council’s broader engagement with traditional institutions ahead of the 2027 election.
The APC campaign team has been seeking support and goodwill from traditional rulers as it builds its campaign structure for the next presidential election.
The monarch’s statement is likely to attract political attention because of the timing and setting, but his accompanying clarification that the palace is non-partisan remains an important part of the context.