Central Political Institutions in Benin and Balance of Power Under Colonial Rule

Abstract

The paper discusses the nature and character of central political institutions in Benin and how these institutions checkmated one another. Such institutions included the Oba, the Uzama, the Eghaevbo orders, the Edaiken, the lyoba and the state council. It dwells in particular on the place of the Iyase (Prime Minister) in checkmating the powers of the Oba during the pre-colonial period. Under the colonial dispensation, new forces emerged to challenge the authorities of the Oba. These included the emergent educated and commercial elite and, of course, the masses under the umbrella of the Benin Community Association. The essay, therefore, asserts that the monarchy was often forced to change and adapt to new developments, from the colonial period and beyond.