The governor of Edo State, Monday Okpebholo has issued a stern warning to members of his cabinet over his approved choice of dressing for the officials.

Okpebholo’s warning comes on the heels of the swearing-in ceremony for 19 new commissioners and boards of agencies and commissions who were inaugurated in Benin City on Tuesday, October 14.

He warned that no member of his cabinet would be allowed entrance into the State Executive Council meeting without donning the President Bola Tinubu’s cap popularly known as the Asiwanu cap.

The Asiwaju cap is a Yoruba fila usually worn by President Bola Tinubu on all his traditional attire. The president has worn this cap, with an infinity insignia boldly embroidered on its sides since his emergence as the governor of Lagos State in 1999.

In the political space, his supporters, allies and staunch members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have taken to wearing this same cap with the popular Asiwaju’s insignia to showcase their alignment with the president.

Speaking further at the inauguration of the commissioners, Okpebholo informed the new appointees that by wearing the popular Asiwaju cap, they make a bold statement of their support for the president.

His words, “You’re wearing traditional dress and you’re coming to Exco without this Asiwaju cap, you’re going back.

At this warning, the crowd cheered the governor on while changing “Asiwaju! Asiwaju!”, “No Asiwaju, no entry”.

Also stating their nomination could not have happened without Tinubu’s total support, Okpebholo further charged the new appointees to stay committed to delivering good governance through their respective offices.

He said, “This administration came into office on the promise of practical governance – to touch the lives of our people directly.

 “Our focus is not on propaganda, but on service delivery and tangible results that can be felt in every community across our state.

He also admonished the new commissioners to desist from personal enrichment and stay focused on serving the people of Edo State.

“May I remind you that this administration has zero tolerance for corruption and you’re expected to display discipline, teamwork, and a shared sense of purpose.

“Most importantly, I expect loyalty to the people of Edo State. You must always remember that History will judge us for our actions and not our intentions,” Okpebholo said.