Following the passage of the Ovie of Udu Kingdom, HRM Barr E.B.O Delekpe and subsequent pressures from different interest groups from within and outside Udu Kingdom, ace businessman and Chairman of O-Secul Nigeria Limited, Engr Mike Orugbo has accepted the offer to step into the throne of Udu Kingdom as the next Ovie of Udu people in Udu Local Government Area of Delta state.

This was the hallmark of the visit to his country home in Ogbe-Udu on Thursday by the entire leadership of Okporua Ruling House in line with the 1979 Edict, which stipulates the order of succession to the throne, with the Presidents, Secretaries, Youth Leaders, Women and Elders of the five communities in Okporua, including Ogbe-Udu, Oghior, Ukpiovwin, Okolor-Waterside and Okolor-Inland, pleading with Engr Mike Orugbo to accept the call to be the next King of the Kingdom.

The visit became imperative following several futile attempts by prominent Udu sons and daughters, religious, political and traditional leaders, professional bodies and interest groups to prevail on him to accept the mantle of leadership of the Udu people by stepping into the throne of his fathers, with the business guru maintaining that he was not prepared for any struggle to be King as he was satisfied with his quite life after retirement from active involvement in key areas of the oil industry for decades.

But the Thursday visit took the man by surprise as the entire Okporua ruling house practically mobilised massively to storm his house and prevail on him to accept the crown.

Speaking on behalf of the hundreds of people from the five communities and other Udu communities in attendance, Deacon Nigeria Okorode from Oghior, pleaded with Mike Orugbo to accept the crown and give Udu the right leadership that could take Udu to places. He pleaded further that the time was ripe for Udu to send their first eleven to take leadership positions, stressing that it would be a thing of pride for Engr Mike Orugbo to be the next Udu Monarch.

Moved by the massive endorsement from the entire Okporua ruling house to which the gazette empowers to produce the next King, Engr Orugbo thanked the people for the demonstration of love and support for him. He emphasised that since he was now the choice of the entire Okporua people, he could not turn them down.

‘’I do not own myself. I am your own, and you are my own. If my fathers, mothers, children and friends from all five communities in Okporua could mobilise this much to declare their stand on this matter, I will have no choice but to accept the offer. I hereby accept to be the next King of Udu Kingdom. With your support and prayers, Udu shall be greater under our reign’’, he added.

The announcement sparked jubilation from the people as they went into a frenzy, singing and dancing in celebration of the emergence of a proper and fit person as the next Ovie of Udu Kingdom.

Thereafter, chiefs and prominent Udu indigenes from the seven ruling houses in Udu came in their numbers to pay homage and celebrate the emergence of Engr Mike Orugbo as the next King of Udu Kingdom.

From Owhorhu Ruling House came Chief C.C.I Whiliki and Chief Udumarho Segba, Okporua had Chief Luke Djebah, Chief Okoro Tagbovwere, the Okpruhiovwin and the man with the authority to crown Kings in Udu, Engr Alex Neyin, Chief Akunuhor Esiso, Hon Jonathan Karo Goru and Engr Nelson Odien.

The Orhuwhorun Ruling House was represented by Chief B.J Egbetamah, father of the House of Assembly member from Udu and Chief Millicent Miller; Adadja Ruling House had Chief Andrew Oyovwiraye in attendance; Owhrode Ruling House had Chief Eddie Ono-Sorhue and Chief Mike Oghenekaro, while the Uloho Ruling House was represented by Elegbete Barr Moses Odibo, Chief Richard Odibo, Chief Austin Emaduku, Chief James Akpowan and Hon Justice Irikefe Iyasere. Also present were Chief Steve Sokoh, Chief Henry Afure Sakpra and Hon Henry Apunu, leader of the Udu legislative arm from the Ovwian ruling House.

Chiefs from all the ruling houses spoke one after the other, pledging their loyalty to Engr Mike Orugbo as the next King of Udu and calling on all lovers of peace and unity in Udu to queue behind the new monarch in order to place Udu on the fast lane of development. Barr Moses Uchere, president of Oghior community and Chairman of the Forum of community presidents in Okporua ruling house, also spoke to foreclose the thought of another candidate, stressing that Okporua has spoken with one voice and that they would stand by the endorsement which was generally accepted by the five communities.

The Udu Council boss, Olorogun Vincent Oyibode, who was on official assignment to Asaba, also sent words of support to complete the endorsement.

The next stage would be for Okporua ruling house to recommend Engr Mike Orugbo to the Udu Traditional Council, the body of Kingmakers who would ratify the nomination in line with the 1979 Edict before the coronation is done.

According to a source in the Kingdom, Engr Mike Orugbo would be formally crowned and presented to the entire Udu people in a ceremony to be put together in due course, and a staff of office from the government would complete the process.