As more aspirants signify their intentions to contest the 2015 Delta State governorship ticket of their respective political parties, the state Deputy Governor, Prof Amos Utuama (SAN), has joined the race.
In a related development, the influential socio-cultural organisation, the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) on Tuesday swore to work against the interest of President Goodluck Jonathan in the 2015 presidential election unless the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) settled for an Urhobo as its governorship candidate in Delta State in 2015.
While receiving the expression of interest and nomination forms purchased for him by a socio-political group, ‘People’s Network for Utuama’ at his country home in Otu-Jeremi yesterday, the Delta State deputy governor said he was taking up the challenge in response to the people’s call.
He described the action of the group as “the voice of God” expressed through the people’s special invitation to run for the governorship in 2015, saying since he had “competence, capability, credibility, character, experience” and all the leadership qualities that would enable him consolidate on the achievements of the PDP in the state since 1999.
Utuama thanked the group led by a former international footballer, Dr John Oganwu, for the gesture, saying he would make a public declaration of his latest political aspiration after President Goodluck Jonathan’s declaration of his second term bid.
Nevertheless, the Urhobo union on Tuesday told journalists at the Urhobo cultural centre, Okere Road, Warri, that the body would mobilise all Urhobo sons and daughters against the PDP or any other political party that does not present an Urhobo as governorship candidate in 2015.
It said it would accept from all the political parties nothing short of an Urhobo candidate as Urhobo nation in Delta State would only vote for the presidential candidate any party that fields a governorship candidate of Urhobo ethnic extraction in the next general election.
Presenting a communiqué from the union’s recent meeting, the acting President, UPU, Chief John Omene, accused Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan and the PDP appeared determined to put forward a candidate from Delta North senatorial zone despite efforts by the union to persuade the governor and the party’s leadership in the state.
Omene said the rigid stand of the UPU was based on the fact that although the PDP has always drawn its political strength from the huge population of Urhobo voters, the Urhobo was often marginalised in federal political appointments.
Current appointments into key political positions at the federal level are lopsided in favour of Delta North zone, the UPU argued, saying there would be no equity and fairness in the state’s political affairs if the North senatorial district was allowed the governor slot in 2015.
The UPU therefore advised President Jonathan to wade into the matter or face mass rejection by Urhobo people at the polls next year.
The UPU’s message as contained in the communiqué read in part, “We profusely appeal to Mr. President and indeed the national leadership of the PDP to consider and accede to the humble request of and demand by Urhobo nation to kindly give the governorship ticket of the PDP to an Urhobo person for there lies true equity, justice and fairness.
“This is the only guarantee which the Urhobo people can give in order to repeat the overwhelming support which the Urhobo nation gave Mr. President in 2011 general election.”
It noted that whereas Urhobo in 2011 gave Jonathan over 820,000 votes, Delta North gave him less than 150,000 votes; and, the figure from other ethnic groups put together was less than 500,000 votes.
Meanwhile, the UPU leadership said it had “sanctioned” some Urhobo persons in the state government service who were allegedly working with Governor Uduaghan to deny Urhobo and Delta Central zone of the PDP governorship candidature in 2015.
Those “sanctioned by the Urhobo Progress Union until they purged themselves of their anti-Urhobo stance” include the senior adviser to Dr Uduaghan on political matters, Chief Ighoyota Amori, the majority leader in the state House of Assembly, Mr. Monda Igbuya and a top notch of the PDP and campaign director of a governorship aspirant from Delta North, Chief Olori Magege.
Several Urhobo politicians have recently joined 2015 governorship race since the UPU made public its position via what it termed the “Uvwiamuge Delcaration”, including a former finance commissioner in the Chief James Ibori administration, Chief David Edevbie, the deputy governor, Prof. Amos Utuama, and Chief Ogheneovwo Omene, brother of the acting UPU President.
