By Emma Amaize & Perez Brisibe

AGBARHO- URHOBO ethnic nationality in Delta State has been ensnared in another round of crisis following the re-election, last Friday, of the under-attack President- General of Urhobo Progress Union, UPU, the umbrella body of Urhobo people, Chief Joseph Omene, as the new leader of the body.

Chief Joe Omene… embattled UPU President General

Urhobo royal fathers, led by the Owhorode of Olomu Kingdom, HRM R. N. Ogbon, and other interest groups, are vehemently opposed to his election and would be meeting, this week, to take a decision on his fate. They had earlier ordered delegates to shun the election. The youths under the leadership of Mr. Ovie Igho, president of the UPU, youth wing, are sturdily behind Omene, but a faction led by Chief Jolly Ogbe distanced Urhobo youths from the charade.

Police seal up election venue

Signs that all was not well in UPU had been there all along, but concerning the latest congress, trouble started, last Friday, when the police sealed up the UPU Cultural Centre, Uviamugha, Agbarho, venue of the election, following security reports.

It was gathered that policemen drafted from the Ughelli Area Command, Ughelli, took over the venue of the election, where accreditation was to commence at 9.00 am, thereby aborting the election.

Chief Omene in company of some delegates and supporters got to the venue at about 9:30 a.m, but could not gain access to the center, as security operatives did not allow him or any other person into the building.

He was welcomed by placard-carrying youths reportedly deployed by some stakeholders kicking against the conduct of the election. They threw stones in an attempt to engage their rival camp in a clash.

Noticing the likely breakdown of law and order despite the presence of policemen, Omene addressed the hundreds of delegates drawn from the different Urhobo kingdoms and UPU chapters, telling them that despite the cordorn by the police, the election would now hold at his Mosogar residence.

Urhobo traditional rulers, also known as Ikoko’R Ivie,     rising from a meeting on Thursday night, had directed delegates to stay off the election venue.

This is sequel to a suit filed by Dr. Peter Obakponovwe, Prof. S. Ibodje, Hon. Solomon Edoja and six others before the High Court of Justice, Effurun, seeking an injunction to stop the election, pending the amendment of the UPU constitution.

Though the chairman of the Electoral Committee, General E. Obada (retd.)   was absent following reports that he resigned his position, a member of the committee and returning officer, Friday Egberi, of the Michael and Cecilia University, Agbarha-Otor, declared Chief Omene winner, at an election conducted in his Mosogar residence, having polled 374votes to defeat his closest rival, Olorogun Moses Taiga, who got 186 votes, while a university don, Prof Sam Idodje, came a distant third with 7 votes out of a total of 589 accredited voters.

Omene’s purported election illegal – Hon Edoja

Describing Omene’s election as an illegality, one of those who dragged him and others to court, Hon. Solomon Edoja, said: “As it stands now, there is a leadership vacuum in the UPU and anybody is free to declare himself president general in his own house as long as it is not in Uviamughe, hence no kingdom would recognize them as UPU executives.

“Government agencies and others thought there would be bloodshed and some persons sponsored people to come and carry placard at Uviamughe.”

Police collected money, yet…   Omene

Expressing disappointment at the Police for sealing the election venue, Omene said: “What happened is a disgrace. I was disappointed when the police stopped us from using the place for the congress because even as at yesterday (Thursday), the Police even collected money from us for their so- called logistics.

“The actions of these groups in the like of Urhobo Social club and President General Unions, Ikoko ‘R Ivie are senseless, UPU is a corporate body registered by CAC, every Urhobo though qualified to be a member that does not mean that every Urhobo is a member.

“There are some Urhobo kings that are behind this and we know them. The building belongs to Urhobo and not a government property, so for government to give order that Urhobo should not hold congress in their own building is uncalled for and unacceptable to us, but being peace -loving people, we stayed off and everything came out successful,” he said.

…threatens to invoke article 9

However, Omene threatened to invoke Article 9 of the UPU constitution, saying: “If there is crisis like what is happening, I can call of the election and be here for another two years in the first instance and continue to extend it, but I said no, I must test my popularity and despite all the challenges, we said the election must take place.”

Anighoro carpets monarchs

Prominent Urhobo youth leader, Mr. Rex Anighoro, told NDV that Omene did not commit any infraction and criticized the interloping of royal fathers in UPU affairs. He said Urhobo monarchs were not in  a position to reject Omene’s election and could not dictate to UPU, as it was under their whims and caprices.

He said if there was any case against Omene, the charges should be properly levelled for him to defend himself, and not for some persons to appropriate and approbate on UPU affairs without authority.

UPU, Ghana shocked

Meanwhile, the UPU, Ghana chapter, has described the impasse that trailed the election as off-putting and appealed to all UPU stakeholders to go back to the drawing board and make the UPU a united force.

Speaking at Uviamughe, the group led by its branch chairman, David Ukueku and secretary, Douglas  Omoyerere, said: “The election at Mosogar is an illegality; we had come here to exercise our  civic rights as Urhobo and UPU members, but on getting here today, what we saw is not encouraging.

“We are using this medium to appeal to the entire house to unite because if the head is destroyed, the body has no place. They should go back home and put everything in other for us all to stand as Urhobo.”

Authentic UPU president general emerges soon – Unagha

Urhobo youth leader, Alhaji Mumakhai Unagha, told NDV on phone: “The Urhobo nation is making arrangement to conduct election and elect a president general, not the travesty by Omene at his private residence in Mosogar.”

He said there was no court order stopping the election, but any election of UPU president general must take place at the Urhobo Cultural Centre in Agbarho and not at the private residence of somebody.