LAGOS MARCH 29TH (URHOBOTODAY)-In what seems to be an attempt to get Delta State governorship slot come 2015, sons and daughters of Urhobo Progress Union (UPU), otherwise known as UPU stakeholders have a close door meeting on Friday at the Ultra Modern Urhobo Cultural Centre, Uvwiamuge-Agbarho to delebrate on the issue.
The agenda of the meeting in which delegates of UPU from all walk of life, top Urhobo politicians, traditional rulers and religious leaders were in attendant was not disclose to the media as newsmen present in the occasion were urged to work out of the occasion with a threat by executive member of UPU, Chief Austin Uloho not to make whatever decision they arrived at a public one.
While walking out journalists from the occasion, Uloho warned, “As you are walking out of the hall, you must not report any information about our deliberation in this hall. Any journalist who report the deliberation will do so at his peril.”
Before the meeting, URHOBOTODAY had however gathered from an insider that the main agenda of the meeting was how Urhobo nation would produce the Governor of Delta State in 2015, adding that the decision was made by the caucus of UPU before the Uvwiamuge gathering which is done to inform the larger audience about their decision.
Our source reliably revealed that last Sunday, UPU President General drawn from about twenty Urhobo Kingdoms met and decided that the next Delta State Governor must be an Urhobo indigene. URHOBOTODAY investigation revealed that when the motion was presented before the House it was opposed by only one person who had no choice but to agree to whatever decision the majority had taken.
Following this decision, the President General decided to consult with all the traditional rulers in Urhoboland to brief them on how and why they came about the decision and call for their support during the Urhobo stakeholders meeting scheduled for last Friday when a motion to that effect would be presented to stakeholders.
Consequently, the meeting held at Uvwiamuge-Agbarho by UPU Executive and Urhobo Stakeholders on Friday lasted for only forty five minutes hence its objective was to inform the stakeholders of the final decision of UPU leaders on the need for Urhobo to produce Delta State Governor in 2015.
According to our source, who was an insider, the issue of Urhobo governor for Delta State was presented before the stakeholders who threw their weight behind the decision and the deal was immediately signed and sealed. They concluded that they would pick their candidate from either APC or PD. The limitation of the candidature to PDP or APC did not go well with people who felt they would have thrown the choice open to other parties.
Despite the general approval by stakeholders, some politicians who spoke to Urhobotoday were opposed to the decision of UPU, saying that in as much as they are not politicians, they should not dabble into politics, adding that, that is not the best way of protecting Urhobo interest.
For instance, Barr. P.O. Wanagho described such a move as very dangerous, intellectually barren and unprecedented decision, saying that it amount to infringement on individual voting rights.
“The Urhobo electorate are free to vote for anybody whether the person is Urhobo or non Urhobo provided the person is qualify to be the governor of Delta State and he is capable of performing his duty diligently,” he advised, warning that if the decision holds, Urhobo would be sowing a seed of discord, tribalism and ethnic sentiment that would bring an ill wind that would do the Urhobo nation no good.