Delta 2023: Disquiet, As Coalition Of Urhobo Youths Reject Endorsement Of Ibori’s Associate Edevbie By UPU

The decision by Urhobo apex social-cultural organization, Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) to endorse a People Democratic Party (PDP) governorship hopeful in Delta state, Olorogun David Edevbie, has continued to cause disquiet in the state as a coalition of Urhobo youths groups, Wednesday rejected the controversial endorsement.

BIGPENNGR.COM reports that the youth groups which threatened to resist the endorsement and make Urhobo ungovernable for the Olorogun Moses Taiga-led UPU, at a press conference, said that adoption of Edevbie was an aberration to the letter and spirit of UPU formation.

Edevbie, a former Commissioner of Finance in Governor Okowa’s first tenure and later Chief of Staff, has been in the news after UPU made him Urhobo’s nation choice for the Delta 2023 governorship. Edevbie, a political associate of Chief James Ibori, the former governor of the state, has been touted as the ‘anointed’ successor of Okowa by Ibori political bloc against the incumbent Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Sheriff Oborevwori who is equally enjoying Okowa’s and state government support.

Converging under the auspices of the Coalition of Urhobo Youth (CUY), which comprises of Urhobo Youth Leaders Association (UYLA), Urhobo Youth Council (UYC), Urhobo National Youth Movement (UNYM) HOSTCOM Youths, Ex Agitators and UPU Youth Wing, the youths took the Taiga-led UPU to the cleaners, accusing him of attempt to smuggle Edevbie to Government House, Asaba without primaries of all Urhobo sons who are also qualified to be endorsed as choice of Urhobo nation.

The youths who said they had earlier held an emergency meeting on 17th April, 2022 at Otor-Udu Headquarters of Udu Local Government Area to reappraise the now controversial endorsement of one aspirant among the lots in the race, said they wouldn’t have bothered to respond to the UPU leadership but for the want of setting the record straight.

Addressing a news conference at Udu, Chairman of the Coalition of Urhobo Youths (CUY), Hon Isaac Omomedia who was flanked by other leaders, said it was ‘ridiculous and laughable’ to endorse Edevbie whilst Urhobo nation parades several credible sons who are also qualified and still in the race.

Describing the Taiga-led UPU as ‘set of selfish and greedy persons’, the youths said that the UPU as a socio-cultural organization of all Urhobo people worldwide, would not be left in the hand of Taiga to drag the Urhobo nation to the mud.

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‘The agenda they are pushing is aimed at destroying the Urhobo nation politically and we the youths will not accept such a dance of shame from our so called fathers.

‘One expected that the UPU as the Umbrella body of all Urhobo must stand to be neutral to all her son provided the Governorship position come 2023 is rotated to Delta Central Urhobos.

‘The action of the Moses Taiga is a pointer to destructive manipulation of Urhobo people since UPU is not a pan Delta group but for all Urhobo people irrespective of political party affiliation.

‘One did not expect UPU to dabble into the internal affairs of any political party. This is one misstep too many and we cannot fold our arms to allow a self-serving gang of compromised, ineffective and irresponsible bodies of politicians drag the revered UPU down the mud of political idiocy and unpardonable infamy.

The youths, however urged Deltans to disregard what the said ‘Taiga and his co-travelers did’, saying ‘it does not have the blessing of the Urhobo Youths and other meaning Urhobo Sons and Daughters’.

‘We believe in one Delta State as such all ethnic Nationality in the state will jointly select and elect an Urhobo son who is detribalized but a product of the political consensus and stand of all Deltans, they said.

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Continuing, the youths said; ‘Let us repeat for the umpteenth time that UPU is not a political party, as such we wonder why they are trying to interfere in the internal affairs of the PDP.

They said they have been inundated with calls from many concern Urhobos since the infamous, unpopular, totally disgraceful plot of entering government house through the backdoor being championed by the Taiga-led UPU.

‘We therefore alert all Deltans that the endorsement did not reflect the interest of the entire Urhobo people but that of a few self-serving individuals who are on a wild goose chase.

‘We condemn in it’s entirety Moses Taiga actions which will never stand and is dead on arrival. Delta should know that Governorship election is the job of all Deltans, Not for few or one ethnic group, or individuals like Moses Taiga to decide’, they said.

They however threatened to resist what they said a ‘dubious political concoction’ vehemently, saying, ‘We shall make the Urhobo ungovernable for Taiga, calling on him, however, to ‘resign’.

They recalled how UPU had in 2014 endorsed same Edevbie in a similar manner that could have thwarted Governor Okowa’s emergence and shut out Delta North from taking their turn to produce a governor, pointing out that the action of the UPU was tantamount to gambling with the destiny of the youths.

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They called on Governor Okowa to disregard the purported endorsement and ensure a free and fair primary for all governorship aspirants as he had earlier promised.

‘We plead once again that His Excellency should disregard the Moses Taiga iniquitous agenda which is totally against the wish of all Urhobo people. Let us go into the primary election as those beating this awkward drum of confusion do not wish you well.

‘They are planting political landmines ahead of your journey into greater political glory and you must be resolute, fight like the man you are and make Delta state a true democratic space for true democracy to thrive. David Edevbie is their choice, not our choice neither the choice of the Urhobo nation’, they asserted.