DESPERATE BID FOR POWER: WE ARE NO SLAVES

By Prof. Mrs Rukevwe Akpedeye-Ugwumba,

The recent purported endorsement of incumbent Senator Ede Dafinone and Rev. Francis Waive by the U3 Forum—a former PDP pressure group—as sole APC candidates for Senate and House of Representatives, respectively, in 2027, is a brazen disregard for the party’s constitutional provisions and principles of fairness and equity, and a desperate attempt to cling to power.

What’s more astonishing is that both men solicited and accepted such endorsements for another term from new APC members, having betrayed the trust of APC members who worked tirelessly for their victories in 2023 through Waive’s public endorsement of and Dafinone’s clandestine support for Governor Sheriff Oborevwori while the governor was still a PDP member.

These acts of treachery should not and will not go unpunished; they will be primaried and defeated. If Waive and Dafinone believe they can return to the House of Representatives and Senate, respectively, under any platform, let alone the APC, they’re clearly out of touch with the realities of Delta Central politics, Delta State politics, and Nigerian politics as a whole.

A review of the representation history in the Ughelli North/Ughelli South/Udu Federal Constituency reveals a concerning trend that renders Waive’s re-election bid unsustainable. By 2027, Chief Emmanuel Agwariavwodo (1999-2003), Dr. Chris Oghenechovwe (2003-2007), and Rev. Francis Waive (2019-2027) from Ughelli South would have cumulatively served 16 years, while Chief Solomon Ahwinawhi of Ughelli North served 8 years (2007-2011 and 2015-2023), and Late Chief Austin Ogbaburhon of Udu served only 4 years (2011-2015).

Waive’s audacious and untenable bid for re-election would not only perpetuate this glaring imbalance but would also further deny Udu and Ughelli North the opportunity to represent the constituency in the 11th National Assembly, thereby contravening Article 20(vi) of the APC Constitution, which upholds federal character, gender balance, and geo-political spread.

Similarly, the Delta Central Senatorial District’s rotation and balance principle would be undermined if Senator Dafinone was the nominee of the APC for the Senate. Given that the district comprises three federal constituencies—Ethiope, Okpe/Sapele/Uvwie, and Ughelli North/Ughelli South/Udu—its representation must prioritise equity and fairness.

Moreover, fielding both Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and Senator Ede Dafinone from the same Okpe/Sapele/Uvwie Federal Constituency would be a strategic blunder for the APC. This consideration prompted Olorogun O’Tega Emerhor’s gracious concession in 2023, paving the way for Senator Dafinone’s uncontested primary.

Senator Dafinone should emulate Olorogun Emerhor’s example for the sake of equity because it’s unconscionable and ungodly that the Okpe Kingdom, one of the 27 Urhobo Kingdoms, would monopolize both positions. Are the other Urhobos slaves? This goes against the Urhobo tradition and values.

Dafinone and Waive’s desperation to seek endorsement from new APC members, in flagrant disregard of the Urhobo way and the party’s constitutional provisions, speaks volumes about their questionable intentions and utter lack of integrity. This blatant disregard for established norms and rules raises serious concerns about their commitment to fairness, justice, and the well-being of the people they claim to represent.

It is imperative that aspirants from Udu and Ughelli North Local Government Areas, as well as Ethiope and Ughelli North/Ughelli South/Udu Federal Constituencies, step up and vigorously challenge Waive and Dafinone’s bids for the APC ticket. This will amplify the voices of the people of these areas and ensure their interests are genuinely represented and protected. After all, we are no slaves to accept perpetual marginalization; it’s time for true representation.

By upholding its constitutional provisions and prioritizing equity, fairness, and justice over individual interests, the APC can break the cycle of entrenched power and promote true representation, giving other perspectives and interests a chance to represent these constituencies.

Olorogon Prof. Dr. Mrs Rukevwe Akpedeye-Ugwumba, is a Former Special Adviser to Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, Health EXCO, former Aspirant for Federal House of Representatives, Chieftain of the APC and Professor of Family Medicine Canada