REJOINDER: 2027: EMERHOR IS THE RIVER ITSELF —A RESPONSE TO UFUOMA EGBE’S MYOPIC DISTORTIONS, BY GODSPOWER OGURO

Our attention has been drawn to a flavourless and intellectually hollow piece authored by one Ufuoma Egbe, allegedly acting for Senator Ede Dafinone. While we would ordinarily ignore such desperate rants, it is necessary to set the record straight for the benefit of the APC faithful and the Urhobo Nation, who deserve better than the propaganda being peddled by a camp clearly gripped by “Emerhor-phobia.”

Egbe’s attempt to paint Olorogun O’tega Emerhor—the Founding Father of APC in Delta State—as an electoral underdog is not just a joke; it is a clinical display of historical amnesia.

To question Emerhor’s electoral strength is to question the very foundation of the APC in Delta State. When it was “dangerous” to identify with the opposition, Emerhor put his life, resources, and reputation on the line to plant the broom in the Niger Delta. If the APC is today a viable platform upon which the likes of Senator Dafinone can win elections, it is because Emerhor built the house they are currently occupying. One does not need to “cast a net” when he is the one who dredged the river.

It is particularly distasteful for Senator Dafinone’s camp to cast aspersions on a man to whom they owe a profound debt of gratitude. Let it be placed on record that it was the massive votes delivered from Ughelli North—stabilised and mobilised through Emerhor’s established machinery—that gave Ede the winning edge in the last election. Without Emerhor’s structural intervention, the “incumbency” the Senator now clings to would have been a mere dream. Rather than sending proxies to insult his benefactor, the Senator should be appreciative of the political ladder provided for him.

Furthermore, the panic in the Dafinone camp stems from a truth they are desperate to suppress: the urgent need for political equity and balance in Delta Central. It is politically insensitive and unsustainable for the Executive Governor of the State and the Senator representing Delta Central to emerge from the Okpe Kingdom and the Okpe/Sapele/Uvwie (OSU) Federal Constituency. Such a concentration of power marginalises other blocs and creates an unnecessary burden for our Governor.

The most honourable path for Senator Dafinone is to acknowledge this imbalance and step down to make the work of our Governor easier. True leadership is about knowing when to sacrifice personal ambition for the sake of Urhobo harmony and party cohesion. We call on the Senator to act with honour rather than allowing his aides to distract the public with baseless attacks. The root of this current panic is the realisation that the Urhobo Nation is increasingly calling for a fair redistribution of power—a call that cannot be silenced by cheap blackmail.

Egbe’s claim that Emerhor lacks support in his home front, Evwreni, is a laughable fabrication. Emerhor remains the rallying point for development and peace in his community. The “influential blocs” Egbe alludes to are likely imaginary characters created to satisfy his principal’s anxiety. Emerhor’s influence transcends a single unit; he is a state-level institutional figure. To reduce a leader of his stature to “unit results” is a pedestrian attempt to diminish a giant.

Senator Ede Dafinone’s team should focus on showcasing his achievements, if any, rather than hiring hands to disparage a man who paved the way for their political relevance.

Olorogun O’tega Emerhor remains a leader of leaders. If and when he decides to enter the race, it will not be through “backdoor lobbying,” but through the front door of popular demand by the people of Delta Central who remember who stood by them when the APC was just a dream in the state.

Godspower Oguro, Public Affairs Analyst, Writes from Warri.