Why Urhobos Can’t Vote APC’s Ndokwa-Ndokwa Ticket

As Urhobos, we have always been the politically savvy people look up to, in all sphere of life. So, we should have realized by now, how best to tactically play our political games in the state, and beyond by keeping strict focus on result oriented approaches to securing our political welfare and wellbeing in the mix of the trending political brouhaha, and that will certainly place us above others, as the full-fledged Urhobos that we are.

It is no longer news that 2023 is here with us and funny enough, even those who once danced to their clueless and politically illiterate supporters chanting “no Urhobo, no Governor”, have become the chief campaigners for another Governor from Delta North on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in disguise as an Urhobo.

While the three frontline candidates, of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Olorogun Barr. Kenneth Gbagi, the only none government official from Delta State who was recently honoured with the Order of the Officer of the Niger (OON), the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), Sheriff Oborevwori and All Progressives Congress (APC), Ovie Omo-Agege.

The governorship having been squarely zoned to Urhobos, Urhobos have paid their very painful prize as a people who it was unthinkable that Delta State can play with the kindness and love with irresponsible democracy as practice by the Urhobo people.

Issues must be placed in the right perspective as it concerns the 2023 governorship race in the state.

First, the Urhobos of Orogun speaking people, originally migrated from Abbi in Ndokwa West local government area of the state, hence from inception, the king of Orogun instead of being referred to as Ovie, as in other Urhobo towns/clans, he is addressed as Okpara-Uku, this is not an Urhobo name.

In Urhobo land kings are addressed as Ivie, not Okpara–Uku, as His Royal Majesty (HRM) Akpojotor Ekpu 1, of Orogun is currently referred to.

Secondly, the candidate of the APC, Omo-Agege, born paternally from Orogun that is neither Urhobo or Ndokwa.

Worthy of note, also, is the language, sadly, the Orogun people is predominantly Ndokwa even if they are counted as one of the 24 Urhobo kingdoms.

It is also true that the Deputy governorship candidate of the APC, Friday Osaai Osanebi, is from Umuedem Quarters, Beneku Town, Ndokwa East Local Government area, is from Ndokwa as well.

Now, the candidates of the APC are they not Ndokwa men? How come should Deltans particularly Urhobos be allowed to vote Ndokwa-Ndokwa ticket in 2023?

It is equally more dangerous that the grandmother of Omo-Agege, is from Itsekiri. This again is another food for thought for the Urhobo people who may have become too gullible politically because of peanuts or crumbs that ordinarily the dogs would even bluntly refuse to eat.

Can Urhobo for once not find theirs that is purely Urhobo to be held accountable without coloration? Yes! The incoming Governor of the state under the Social Democratic Party, Olorogun Gbagi, fits into this.

He is paternally from Oginibo and maternally from Idjere both an Urhobo speaking communities.

Worthy of note again about the APC governorship candidate, is the sad fact that all his friends and anybody who knew him and back-dated to know the father, knew that they are traditional idol worshippers (Igbe) .

This writer, out of curiosity from the rumour mill, visited the APC candidate’s country home in Orogun and can confirm the citing of a shrine.

Would Urhobo have learnt any lesson? Would they be ready to produce a pure Urhobo son of theirs if any? Of course, there is one.

The first and only Urhobo who became a minister and made his marks with what he did under the president Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.

A philanthropist par excellence, a humanitarian, the first black to become AKS member to donate $250, 000 to Rotary International for charity and is well documented and the only Deltan who successfully mixed business with politics.

Others do not even have a store before they took politics as business.

While this writer does not particularly have anything against any tribe, the Aniomas have produced their own governor and their tenure is expiring with Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta North).

The Itsekiris, have produced one with Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan (Delta South).

Should we continue to play to the gallery in our own state by selling our birthright ignorantly to Delta North or Delta South Senatorial Districts?

This is the turn of the Urhobo people. Can they respect the fact that they have children and they must not wash away the nation called Urhobo as it is currently the case?

Every tribe likes money but they have used the greed of the Urhobo people to mess up the Urhobo nation and destroyed your heritage completely.

Urhobo go back to your archives and produce an Urhobo governor to run Urhobo term.

Even when the tenure of Olorogun Felix Ibru, was shortlived, he made remarkable impacts with the SDP in the state.

That is a discussion for another day.

Let Urhobo take hold of what is theirs before the thieves who only “comes to steal, kill and to destroy”, take it away.

Best of luck as we wash you deceive yourselves again.