Controversy as Okpe Union Disowns Delta Advisory Council Member, Ex-PDP State Secretary, Others

Okpe Union, adjudged as the oldest registered ethnic union in Nigeria, has disowned the 1st Deputy President General of the Urhobo Progress Union and former Secretary of the Delta State Chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Isaac Itebu, member of Delta State Advisory and Peace Building Council.

The Union, also disowned Chief Robert Onome, Immediate Past President General of Amuokpe District of Okpe Kingdom who was Secretary of the Sapele Local Government Chapter of the People’s Democratic Party, Mr. Harrison Ekeleme and the President of the Okpe Youths Progressive Association, Mr. Moses Odiete.

The trios in their Press Conference/Statement, purportedly claimed to have spoken for the Okpe people of Delta State and announced that “enough is enough, Okpe is Urhobo”.

But Okpe Union in a counter statement disowned the trios stating, “It is important to outline that none of the organizers, signatories and attendees of the said Press Conference in Orerokpe is qualified to speak on behalf of the Okpe people and ethnic nationality of Delta State’’.

The union in a statement in Warri titled “The fraudulent press statement of Isaac Itebu, Robert Onome, et al, the impostors who presented the Okpe ethnic nationality as Urhobo”, on the 30th of July 2025 described the activities of Itebu, Onome and others as a treasonable act against the Okpe Nation.

The statement signed by Engr. Francis O. Redemi, 1st Deputy President General, Okpe Union (Worldwide), Mr. Omamurhomu Ayaruja, 2nd Deputy President General, Okpe Union (Worldwide) Dr. Lucky Akpere, 3rd Deputy President General, Okpe Union (Worldwide), Mr. Bernard Adibor, 4th Deputy President General, Okpe Union (Worldwide), Barrister Kingsley Akpederin, General Secretary, Okpe Union (Worldwide) and Barrister. Victor Oruno, National Publicity Secretary, Okpe Union (Worldwide) said Itebu cannot speak on behalf of the Okpe Ethnic Nationality.

“Chief Isaac Itebu who opted to contest for the position of 1st Deputy President General of the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) perhaps on his being partly Urhobo, is not a member of any of the branches of the Okpe Union and does not hold any position in the Okpe Union. He, as 1st Deputy President General of the UPU, a different Ethnic Union, cannot speak on behalf of the Okpe Ethnic Nationality.”

The representatives of the National Executive Council of the Okpe Union (Worldwide) ably led by Prof. Igho Natufe, President General of the Okpe Union (Worldwide) called Chief Robert Onome an anathema in the Okpe Nation, stressing his incapability of representing any part of it, talks more of speaking on behalf of her.

“Chief Robert Onome who was elected on the 19th of November, 2016 as the President General of the Okpe Union for a four year tenure which elapsed in November, 2020, it is preposterous for him to allow himself to be sponsored to parade himself as President General of the Okpe Union, nearly five years after his tenure had expired and when he never re-contested. The Residue of Tenure Ruling from the Delta State High Court, Orerokpe for him for a maximum of 47 Days from 14th of March 2025, expired on the 30th of April, 2025.

“He reported to the same court and deposed to an Affidavit he signed on the 21st day of May 2025 for Contempt against the legitimate leadership of the Okpe Union for the purpose of enabling him to continue parading himself, but the court threw away his contempt application. In the Affidavit, he had complained to the court that he has made several attempts to call NEC Meeting and General Assembly of the Okpe Union but all to no avail.

“He shamelessly by that, revealed to the world, that majority of the Executive members of the Okpe Union under him between 2016 and 2020 had moved on and joined the leadership of Prof. Igho Natufe by re-contesting in the last election of the National Executive Council, which held on the 15th of May, 2025, after the General Secretary summoned the General Assembly of the union in accordance with its Constitution.

“Also on how illegitimate the claims of Chief Robert Onome are, on the 30th of April, 2024, the Federal High Court, Abuja (Suit No.FHC/ABJ/CS/395/2022) had ordered the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) to withdraw and or expunge from its records all trustees appointed by the Illegal Interim EXCO of the Okpe Union, including the Chief Robert Onome and others, as fraudulently smuggled in.

“The Okpe People’s Forum (OPF), a body registered by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) which the Chief Robert Onome was a registered member, announced his suspension from the organization through a circular dated the 3rd of August, 2025 after the report that he signed a Press Statement that Okpe was Urhobo.”

The union decried misrepresentation, fraud and blind loyalty of some political hustlers in the state.

“Mr. Harrison Ekeleme who purportedly signed on behalf of the leadership of the 13 Districts of Okpe Kingdom, we dare say that this is one of the most fraudulent political acts in Nigeria of recent. Mr. Ekeleme had completed his tenure as President General of Amuokpe District of Sapele Local Government Area and handed over to his elected successor, Hon. Eruteyan Ohiambe on the 6th of April, 2025.

“He, Mr. Harrison Ekeleme during his tenure which ended on the 6th of April, 2025, paraded himself as the Chairman of the Forum of Presidents General of the 13 Okpe Kingdom Districts apparently for political showmanship. How logical is it, for anyone to accept it that the same person who had handed over to his successor nearly four months ago, would still parade himself as the Chairman of an arranged Forum of Presidents General of the 13 Districts of Okpe Kingdom? Is that not misrepresentation and fraud taken too far just for the sake of politics and blind loyalty to political hustlers?”

The statement hinted that majority of members of the Okpe Youths Council have been up in arms against Moses Odiete since the unfortunate incidence.

“The fourth signatory of the treasonable document is Mr. Moses Odiete, the President of the Okpe Youths Council. Suffice to say that after surviving temporary removal a few months after his inauguration, his act of bowing to political jobbers to sign the fraudulent Press Statement has now thrown the Okpe Youths Council into turmoil as the vast majority of members of the body have been up in arms against him since the unfortunate incidence. We hope the OYC is able to weather the storm from it.”

Madam Grace E. Dinna, National Women Coordinator, Okpe Union (Worldwide), Comrade. Mary O. Pender, National Youths Coordinator, Okpe Union (Worldwide) and Comrade David Ajuja, National Secretary, Okpe Union Youths Worldwide) also signed the statement.

The Okpe Union is the oldest registered Ethnic Union in Nigeria, having been established in 1930 and registered on the 13th of December 1934 under the Land (Perpetual Succession) Ordinance No. 32 of 1924. It is the umbrella Socio-cultural Organization of the indigenes of Sapele and Okpe Local Government Areas of Delta State”.