2023: Endorsement crisis rocks Urhobo apex body over Okowa’s successor

The endorsement of a governorship aspirant, Olorogun David Edevbie, by the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) has triggered another round of crisis within the apex socio-cultural body as 31 elders and leaders in the district have rejected the development.

The UPU President-General, Olorogun Moses Taiga and his executives purportedly endorsed Edebvie last week as their preferred aspirant to succeed Governor Ifeanyi Okowa in 2023.

But the elders expressed dismay that the union has derailed from its constitutional provision and hijacked the duty of the State Working Committee (SWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to provide a level playing ground for all aspirants through a free, fair and credible primary election.

Their spokesperson, who doubles as PDP Chairman Delta Central Senatorial District, Chief Dr Patrick Fovie A.P, supported by 30 other elders in a co-signed statement urged the union to immediately retrace its steps and stop usurping political matters.

He said: “A similar scenario played out in 2014-2015 wherein UPU came up with ‘Urhobo Political Agenda’ and this singular act not only caused internal crisis in the great party but also created factions in UPU with two President-General’s orders and counter orders.”

He said the grave incursion of UPU into active politics via ‘Urhobo Governor Agenda’ again, fractured the sensibility of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa who suffered the negative consequence of it in 2014-2015.

“This kind of unpleasant situation must be avoided hence it is very necessary for UPU to stay away from the internal affairs of PDP and partisan politics generally,” he said.

They urged all other ethnic or tribal unions other than political pressure groups and individuals, in the district, to completely abstain from endorsing all categories of aspirants in the party. (New Telegraph)