Though the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has failed to produce an Urhobo as its governorship candidate for this year’s governorship election in Delta State, the Urhobo nation at home and in the Diaspora, contrary to its earlier stand, has conveyed their approval and support to President Goodluck Jonathan, who is re-contesting this year’s presidential election under the platform of the PDP.
They promised to deliver over one million votes to the President in the presidential election.
It will be recalled that the Urhobo had earlier vowed to vote, both at the governorship and at the presidential elections, in favour of the political party which gives its governorship ticket to an Urhobo aspirant.
This it had affirmed in what it generally regarded as, Uvwiamuge Declaration, which said that the Urhobo nation was sacrosanct.
By this development, the Urhobo have, at the presidential level, dumped the only two parties in the state, presenting Urhobo governorship candidates, the All Progressives Congress, APC, and the Labour Party, LP.
The current twist of event occurred, when the Urhobo nation, through its umbrella body, the Urhobo Progress Union, UPU, led by its President-General, Chief Joseph Omene, leading an eight man team of prominent executive and non-executive members, was at the Presidential villa, Abuja, where it conveyed to the President, its willingness and readiness to deliver its estimated over one million votes to the PDP, with Mr President as its candidate in this year’s Presidential election, even when the party’s governorship primary election in the state was won by a non-Urhobo from Delta North.
Source: Vanguard.