What Transpired During Unenurhie Election: James Okparikpu Gives His Personal Testimony

PRESS STATEMENT

After the elections, I was alerted to a post allegedly from a contestant claiming that there was no election on February 7, 2025. The statement concluded with a directive for the Unenurhie people to disregard Mr. Williams Ilayah as the President of the community.

First and foremost, this call is ill-conceived, misguided, irritating, and highly inciting. The election conducted was, without a doubt, the most peaceful, inclusive, transparent, fair, and credible in recent memory.

As mandated, the Ministry of Women Affairs and the Ministry of Justice are responsible for conducting elections for Community Development Associations in Delta State, while the Local Government Chairman is tasked with ensuring a safe and conducive atmosphere through adequate security. All necessary arrangements were in place prior to the election.

Before the rescheduled election date of February 27, a reconciliatory meeting was convened by the Local Government Chairman, during which an unexpected list of delegates was presented, shocking everyone in attendance. Attempts to ascertain the source of this list were fruitless, causing significant uproar and confusion due to the apparent intent to enforce it upon the community. This meeting did not conclude positively.

It is essential to remember that the appointed electoral body requires leaders from various community bodies, branch Presidents, street Chairmen, youth leaders, women leaders, Odion Council, and the Inotus to submit delegate lists, which were submitted in Asaba before the elections. The Ministry of Women Affairs only brought the authentic approved list. Therefore, the introduction of another list from the Local Government Chairman was unacceptable, and the  leader of the women’s affairs Ministry rightly questioned its origin. Moreover, a court order had restrained both the Local Government Chairman and the outgoing President General from accepting or submitting any delegate lists. This issue led to prolonged deliberations, nearly jeopardizing the election set for the day, March 7, 2025.

To avoid further postponement and the uncertainty it would create, all stakeholders agreed to set aside the conflicting delegate lists and opted for option A4. This agreement, which allowed for the adoption of option A4, was signed by all parties, including the the the Ministry of Women Affairs, in the presence of representatives from the Ministry of Justice.

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Afterwards, the representative from the Ministry of Women Affairs addressed the Unenurhie people, explaining the agreement, which was neither imposed nor implemented immediately. The community overwhelmingly supported the proposed course of action, allowing her to proceed. All contestants can attest to this, except for the one who issued a misleading statement, perhaps due to poor advice. Furthermore, all seating arrangements were accepted by the contestants.

The outcome of this legitimate and widely accepted election was the election of Mr. Williams Ilayah and his executive team as winners.

For anyone, particularly a contestant, to now attempt to undermine the integrity and transparency of this election is akin to a drowning person grasping at anything to survive.

It’s important to acknowledge that we have engaged in a needless battle within our community over a local election. We have endured countless provocations. Thankfully, we have moved past that.

Moving forward, it is imperative for all involved to show magnanimity in both victory and defeat. Unenurhie, our cherished community, is greater than the ambitions of any single individual.

Let sleeping dogs lie

Further speaking on the election, Mr. James Okparikpu, the outgoing President of UCDA, Lagos Branch and the leader of the Lagos delegates to the just concluded election cum a very strong supporter of Mr. Williams Ilayah praised the outcome of the elections. In his brief remarks, Mr. James Okparikpu said “We are pleased to see that our community election was successfully conducted after several postponements and delays. This achievement reflects the resilience and determination of our community members who remained committed to the democratic process.

The peaceful conduct of this event is a testament to our collective dedication to harmony and cooperation. It exemplifies the strength of our shared values and the importance of unity in overcoming challenges.

I want to thank the everyone who participated, supported, and advocated for a smooth and fair election process. Together, we have set a positive precedent for the future, demonstrating that even in the face of adversity; we can come together and work towards a common goal. We will continue to foster this spirit of collaboration and commitment to the well-being of our community.”

Mr. James Okparikpu is the outgoing President, UCDA, Lagos Branch