2023: UPU, DC23 In Another Journey To Destabilise Urhobo Nation Through Pruning Down Of Aspirants —OGM

We received the news of Delta Central 2023 code named DC-23 and Urhobo Progress Union trying to set up committees to prune down aspirants from Delta Central with mixed feelings.

As a group that is committed to equity within the Delta central senatorial district, we find it extremely imperative to bare our minds on critical issues that might affect our genuine and justifiable agitation for equity, come 2023.

While commending the conveners and leadership of DC23 and UPU for coming together to fight for strict compliance with the rotational policy of the Peoples Democratic Party by ensuring that the Governorship slot come 2023 is zoned to Delta central, we wish to express certain concerns and fears been entertained by the people of Okpe/Sapele and Uvwie (OSU) federal constituency.

It is true that the Urhobo people of Delta State have a chequered history of unfulfilled political aspiration caused by a litany of orchestrated betrayals by our leaders and the political class.

It is this Ignoble act of treasury from the Urhobo leaders cum the political class that has precipitated the Urhobo Progress Union into two blocs that do not take side with each other in our sociopolitical aspirations till date.

In view of this prevailing circumstance, there is the need for us to momentarily pause and embark on a holistic introspection and retrospection in other to make informed decision about the true intentions to screen aspirants from Delta central by DC23 group and UPU.

When Chief James Onanefe Ibori indicated his interest to contest for Governor after a long period of military rule in mid-1998, not many people, including the Urhobo politicians and leaders of thought, gave him the
benefit of the doubt that he has any chance of making it out of the arrays of heavyweight politicians jostling to rule Delta State.

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It is on record that the UPU and Urhobo nation tilted more towards Chief Moses Kragha of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) yet he lost to Chief Onanefe Ibori despite the tactical support of the Urhobo nation.

Chief Ibori, a political greenhorn then one might say, bulldozed his way through. He came out strong and smoking, first, at PDP’s primary, before coasting home to victory at the general election, thus taking the state by storm when he emerged as Governor in 1999.

In the race leading to the Governorship election in 2007 the UPU were committed to making sure a man from Delta central succeeds Chief James Onanefe Ibori, that was the first time the Urhobo umbrella body under the leadership of Chief Benjamin Okumagba openly indicated interest of who becomes the Governor through the Uvwiamuge Declaration.

Chief James Ibori made it clear during the launching of the Urhobo National secretariat at Uwviamuge that he will relinquish power to whoever that stands out during the launching.

The two highest donor in that event were Olorogun Otega Emerhor? The then Chairman of first Atlantic Bank who donated N101million and Chief Charles Ufuoma Obule who took the mammoth crowd by surprise when he donated the sum of N120mn.

Chief Obule, an illustrious son of Okpe kingdom became the most preferred choice of the Urhobo Progress Union and most sought after politician in Urhobo nation by the political class.

In a dramatic twist of event close to the electioneering period, both the political class and the UPU rescinded thier decision thereby betraying each other and discarding the earlier decisions reached at Uwviamuge to give Chief Charles Obule the Governorship ticket.

It is worthy to note that the then President General of UPU, Chief Benjamin Okumagba dumped Chief Ufuoma Obule and Chief Otega Emerhor who were major stakeholders for the then serving Chairman of NDDC, Chief Emmanuel Aguariowvodo from the Ughelli axis while Chief James Ibori brought in Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan and succeeded against the interest of the Urhobo nation and UPU.

This scenario of betrayal since the inception of democracy has also played out in various Urhobo political pressure groups whose only mission is to give false sense of adoption to political aspirants and after spending much they will now come out with premediated arrangements to enforce thier wish using the name “Urhobo ” as a driving tool.

It is most unfortunate that after we have resolved as a people, personal interest of an individual and the Urhobo political class later aborted the process.

Without recourse to our collective agreement as a people or Memorandum of Understanding, Chief Onanefe Ibori pulled out every politician from the UPU agreement to present an Urhobo candidate and brought his cousin, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan on the basis of rotation to succeed him.

It is also of paramount importance to note that after the second tenure of Dr Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan, he insisted on the rotational policy of the Peoples Democratic Party by bringing Chief Anthony Obuh to succeed him to the extent that he was even ready to break the vault of the state but before the primary this same group of politicians from Urhobo extraction for reasons best known to them deceived Chef David Edevbie who is relatively unpopular among Deltans with a promise to give him the ticket thereby drafting him to the race. He was later betrayed and His Exellency, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa won at the end of the day.

The issue of the Governorship seat coming to Delta central in our opinion is not under contention as confirmed by the State PDP Chairman, Chief Kingsley Esiso in a political function at Ovu, Ethiope East Local Government of Delta state.

If the UPU and DC23 are truly and genuinely committed to the victory of an aspirant from Delta Central come 2023, the issue they should be looking at is to set up a committee to look into which federal constituency should produce the Governor of the state based on equity and fairplay and not to tactically introduce a process that will lead to a predetermined end or outright sale of the Governorship slot to the highest bidder.

I urge all men of good conscience to rise up and speak against this anti people’s tendency .it is our view that as usual this will end up polarising our people along political lines and primordial sentiments.

May God help the Urhobo nation.

My name is Comrade Sanco Ese a.k.a God Pen of Intervention, National Coordinator, OSU Governorship Movement (OGM)