Delta Guber: Urhobo in Dilemma over “Uvwiamuge Declaration”
LAGOS JANUARY 14TH (URHOBOTODAY)-Barely two months to the 2015 general elections, Urhobo nation’sdetermination at regaining governorship of Delta state has suffered anothermajor setback as alleged partisan divisions rock the ethnic group’s apexleadership organ, the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU).
The bone of contention is alleged attempts by Chief Joe Omene, President General (PG) of the UPU to subvert “Ovwiamughe Declaration”, a 2014 oath sworn to by all Urhobo interest groups to cast the over one million blocvote of the Delta majority ethnic group to the All Progressives Congress (APC) at all levels in the coming elections should the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) fail to give its Delta guber ticket to an Urhobo.
Following the death of Gen. Patrick Aziza, immediate past PG of the UPU under whose leadership, Urhobo swore to Ovwiamughe Declaration, hissuccessor, Chief Joe Omene cast the first threat to the declaration when he indicated that Urhobo could support Chief Great Ogboru, Labour Party’s flag bearer for the Delta state governorship weeks after assuring The APC candidate, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor, full support in absence of an Urhobo PDP ticket
Deliberations last Sunday by the UPU stakeholders at Mosogar, Ethiope East council area towards fielding a single Urhobo candidate in line with Ovwiamughe Declaration ended abruptly as majority executives rose against Chief Omene’s pressure on Urhobo to support the PDP in the coming election even after failing to give its Delta guber ticket to an Urhobo.
It was alleged, at the truncated meeting, that majority UPU executives bent on actualising the original Uvwiamuge Declaration insisted that Olorogun Emerhor of APC be adopted as Urhobo consensus gubernatorial candidate for the election following in the failure of a PDP ticket.
An ensuing argument at the closed door meeting, it was further gathered, forced premature adjournment of the meeting with a resolution to table the matter before Urhobo Council of Traditional Rulers, the Youth and Women wings for ratification.
An executive member who spoke to Vanguard on anonymity said, “majority executives agreed in a voice vote at the meeting that to on Ovwiamughe Declaration we stand and in that spirit, drastic decision must be taken to checkmate the unbecoming attitude of the PG.”
It would recalled that some Urhobo have earlier called for the resignation and or removal of Chief Joe Omene as President General of the UPU following his recent visit to the Abuja and romance with the Presidency where he reportedly declared to lead Urhobo’s support for President Jonathan inFebruary election.
Justice Otitiri, a political analyst said, “In Omene, Urhobo must now know we have a PDP mole as UPU PG. I doubted his R edi biliary after Aziza’s death. The reality is stirring us in the face now.
“Omene has been leading UPU’s suspension of the Amoris, Magages, and other Urhobos for supporting Anioma governorship and the PDP. Now he is the one trying to truncate the collective decision Urhobo has made on the utter of his selfish path with President Jonathan. He should honour ably resign or be dismissed as UPU PG.”
Meanwhile, National Vice Publicity Secretary, UPU, Alhaji Mumakai-Unaghawho was at Sunday’s meeting said, “I am very surprised by this confusion of a U-turn being promoted by some of us. Urhobos must not be deceived that President is willing to support Urhobo governorship through Labour Party.
“If he is interested in Urhobo governorship, he would supported us for the Delta PDP ticket when we wrote him six months ago. This resentful u-turn if allowed to succeed it would have long term negative consequences for the Urhobo nation.
The UPU would have lost all its credibility. Nobody would respect UPU
anymore. Ovwiamughe Declaration had space for only PDP and APC. Since PDP has failed and undermined us, APC is the exclusive choice for Urhobo to support. It an oath we all, especially the UPU leadership, swore to abide. There is no going back.”
Let no man deceive Urhobo all in the name of presidential support. because PDP, The President have fail Urhobo as a nation, I believe there is something fishing. A man who can not stand by his word is worst than a coward. a word is enough for the wise unless Urhobo is ready to wait and be imarginalized for another 8years we Urhobo say no
If the Uvwiamuge declaration has made support for APC’s Otega sacrosanct then Urhobo should better vote the PDP candidate because I can’t see Otega winning the election. UPU should be flexible, persuade Otega to step down for Ogboru who has the popularity cutting across ethnic boundaries.
Otega May Have A Better Party Structure And What-not.. But Ovedje Has Popularity. He Is The People’s Choice. The Every Keke Napep Rider, Market Women, Council Workers And So Forth,, They All Will Vote For The “Great One”. Otega Knows That.. So Does The Pdp. Otega Should Give It Up. And Support Great Ogboru For The Governorship. Great Has Never Had A Better Chance To Win This, Than Nown Otega, Do Not Be An Obstacle. We, The Urhobos, Will Not Forgive U, Should You Mess This Chance Up For Us.
Great Ogboru is the one to break the jinx of treasury looters in the guise of pdp and apc in delta state.
i still cant beleive that the urhobo’s still ague over who will rempresent them in the poles. Ogboru should represnt the urhobo nation. Forget abt PDP we can still win if our vote is in one place. Bt dnt foget at the presidential level, jonathan should be the one we vote fo.