The incident unfolded when Akpata, alongside former Labour Party presidential candidate Mr. Peter Obi, visited the Oba's palace in Benin City. Throughout the meeting, Akpata repeatedly referred to himself as a "son of the Palace" in both English and the local dialect.

However, the Oba promptly refuted these assertions, revealing that he had instructed one of his chiefs to verify Akpata's claims. The investigation concluded that Akpata had no direct or distant links to the Palace.

"You are an industrious son of the soil, but to say you are a child of the Palace...I am not aware that any of my children is contesting or is a politician. So I need to make that clarification for the sake of the public and the fourth estate of the realm," stated the Oba.

The Oba's categorical denial of Akpata's self-proclaimed status visibly unsettled the Labour Party candidate. Akpata responded by acknowledging that while he might not be a child of the Palace, he remained a proud child of the kingdom.

Following the meeting, a member of Akpata's entourage expressed disappointment with the Oba's public correction, suggesting that the clarification should have been made privately rather than in front of the press. Nonetheless, the Labour Party member conceded that as the Oba, "he can't be wrong."