Unenurhie Community Election: Supporters Of Okpavwaire Kingdom Reject Poll, Alert Oborevwori

By Daniel Dafe

Supporters of Okpavwaire Kingdom have rejected the outcome of the election for the President-General and other offices for the Unenurhie Community Development Union, UCDU, saying the process violates their constitution.

Unenurhie community in Evwreni Kingdom is made up of two quarters, Enurhie and Uruwherun.

Okpavwaire Kingdom, Ilayah Williams, and Clever Adjene were the three contestants for the position of President-General.

The said elections was earlier scheduled for 22nd and later shifted 27th February, 2025, but postponed indefinitely by the Chairman of Ughelli North LGA, Olorogun Jaro Egbo and finally rescheduled for 6th March, 2025 at the community town hall.

11 positions were to be contested for and conducted by the staff of the Ministry of Women Affairs, Youth and Community Development, Asaba led by the ministry’s permanent secretary, Mrs. Oghenekevwe Agas and a six-man Electoral Committee set up by the National Executive Council (NEC) of the community union’s leadership chaired by Mr. James Asigbe.

ALSO READ: Akpoti-Uduaghan And The Emerging Controversies

Speaking to Oasis Magazine via a telephone chat, one of the delegates from Lagos and a staunch supporter of Kingdom, Felix Amos Ekah, said that the election which was supervised by the Delta State Ministry of Women Affairs with the Permanent Secretary, Mrs Oghenekevwe Agas, leading the ministry’s delegation, was conducted without the use of the approved delegates list as enshrined in the Union’s Constitution.

According to him, the list of the authentic delegates to vote had already been sent to the community and to the local government which was signed, saying that there was an argument between the council chairman, Jaro Egbo and those to conduct the election from Asaba at the election venue which made Egbo angrily leave the venue.

He also alleged that there was a list that was brought to the election venue from Asaba.

He continued: “While elections were yet to commence, we heard them shouting that they had won and started pouring powder on themselves. If they said the election would not be by delegates, we also would have mobilsed our people there. We did not want a fight to break out when they began celebrating and claiming victory, and so we returned to our hotel rooms and houses.”

He also fingered the President General of Evwreni Clan Improvement Union (ECIU), Chief Kenneth Ukpebitere, being part of the ground plan to set aside the delegate’s list for the election and potentially cause crisis in the community.

He alleged that Chief Ukpebitere orchestrated the plot for non-delegates to besiege the election and allowed them to vote contrary to the Union’s Constitution.

“The majority of the people who were allowed into the hall to vote were non-indigenes of the community. They were mercenaries brought by one of the candidates,” he said.

Furthermore, he rejected in its entirety the process and outcome of the election, insisting that the ministry should do the right thing for the sustenance of the peace and security in the community.

Speaking further, he said that for the sake of the peace of the community, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori must intervene.

“He must order fresh elections in our community because there was no election today, and the fresh election should be conducted in a new place and not Unenurhie. Our lives were threatened at the venue because we stood for the truth. They threatened to kill some of us for supporting Okpavwaire Kingdom. We have reported to the police though,” he said.

Meanwhile, when contacted, Ukpebitere said that the decision to resort to voting without the delegates list but with all indigenes present was a unanimous decision by all stakeholders present to avert the chaos that might result from the conflicting delegates list.

Chief Ukpebitere opined that for him, the peace of the community was paramount considering the crisis that has bedevilled Evwreni Kingdom in the past years.

Results announced said Comr. Williams Ilayah won massively as the president-general.

Other names announced included Mr. Omokigho Opue as vice president-general, Mr. Stanley Obegor as secretary-general, Mr. Oghenekowho Iboyi as treasurer, Mr. Kingsley Oradjevwe as financial secretary, Pastor James Ephron as assistant financial secretary, Mr. Victor Imudje as social secretary and Mr. Philip Umukoro as public relations officer.