“When Benin Defied the Crown: Three Moments That Tested the Oba’s Authority”
THE Benin monarchy is one of Africa’s oldest and most enduring institutions—revered, sacrosanct, and traditionally beyond public challenge. To disagree with the Oba is to question not just a king, but a centuries-old spiritual and political order. Yet history records rare, seismic moments when sections of the Benin populace—chiefs, elites, and everyday citizens—collectively pushed back. These confrontations, though exceptional, reveal a kingdom capable of internal critique, civic courage, and political evolution.
This investigative editorial revisits three of the most defining episodes when the people of Benin stood their ground, forcing the monarchy to reckon with its own power.
1. Ewuakpe’s Crisis: When an Oba Ruled Alone (Early 1700s)
In the early 18th century, Oba Ewuakpe ascended the throne under strained circumstances—empty royal coffers, palace intrigue, and rising expectations from the nobility. His response was to impose taxes and compulsory labor, decisions that stirred unprecedented resentment. What began as quiet dissatisfaction quickly escalated into a mass withdrawal of loyalty.
Chiefs abandoned the palace. Commoners refused tribute. Even his queen—according to oral accounts—walked away. The palace, once a hive of ritual activity and political power, fell silent. Ewuakpe was left alone in a kingdom that had essentially gone on strike.
It took the intervention of a widowed woman from Uselu—an unlikely political broker—to restore dialogue. Through her mediation, the Oba sought forgiveness and performed rituals acknowledging his excesses. The kingdom eventually healed, but the episode left a lasting imprint: even the most sacred authority could be held accountable when the social contract broke down.
2. The Water Rate Revolt: Benin vs. Colonial Collaboration (1937–1939)
Fast-forward to the colonial era, and Benin found itself in a different kind of power struggle. When the British introduced a Water Rate tax in 1937, economic hardship made the levy deeply unpopular. But what fueled the agitation was not just the policy—it was the perception that Oba Akenzua II was aligned too closely with the colonial authorities imposing it.
The people’s anger evolved into a political movement. Chiefs, merchants, educated elites, and market women formed the Benin Community, a coalition demanding not just tax reversal but a reform of the Native Authority system that gave the Oba sweeping administrative power under colonial supervision.
The movement was disciplined and strategic—submitting petitions, mobilising public opinion, and forcing colonial officials to confront growing unrest. By 1939, the authorities yielded, introducing representative councils that diluted autocratic rule and expanded civic participation.
The revolt did not weaken the monarchy; instead, it recalibrated governance in Benin, marking a shift from unquestioned royal authority to shared responsibility in local administration.
3. The Coffin at the Palace Gate: The Otu-Edo Uprising (1955–1956)
By the mid-1950s, nationalist sentiment was reshaping Nigeria’s political landscape. In Benin, the Otu-Edo movement—led by the influential Chief Humphrey Omo-Osagie—championed the creation of a Mid-West Region. Oba Akenzua II initially stood firmly with them, lending traditional legitimacy to the cause.
But politics in the Western Region were complex. When the Oba shifted toward a more diplomatic alliance with the Action Group, Otu-Edo members saw it as a betrayal of Benin’s aspirations. The fallout was explosive.
Protesters marched to the palace, carrying a coffin—an unthinkable symbol in Benin cosmology. Placing it at the palace entrance, they declared that the Oba’s political influence had “died.” In a kingdom where royal symbolism wielded enormous power, this act was nothing short of political drama at its peak.
Tension cooled only after prolonged negotiation. Ironically, Omo-Osagie later became Iyase (Prime Minister of Benin) after the successful creation of the Mid-West Region in 1963—proof that even the fiercest disputes could end in reconciliation and institutional renewal.
What These Moments Tell Us About Power in Benin
These three episodes—separated by centuries—share a common thread: the insistence that kingship must serve the people. Dissent in Benin is never casual; it is measured, collective, and rooted in the belief that the monarchy derives its legitimacy from moral leadership, not unquestioned authority.
When the Oba faltered, the people did not revolt to tear down the throne—they demanded that the institution live up to its sacred obligations. And each time, the monarchy emerged not diminished, but strengthened, rebuilt on renewed trust and accountability.
In a kingdom famed for its ritual grandeur and cultural discipline, these rare confrontations stand as reminders that even the most deeply rooted traditions must continuously adapt to the demands of justice, fairness, and evolving civic consciousness.
