Delta ALGON asks UPU to withdraw adoption of governorship aspirant ahead PDP primaries

April 18, 2022

Assocciation of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) has urged the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) to withdraw its adoption of a governorhip aspirant as its preferred Urhobo candidate ahead of the primaries of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the interest of unity and love in Urhobo land and the state.

The Delta Central chapter of ALGON gave the counsel on Monday at a press conference attended by the local government council chairmen in Delta Central.

Nigerian Tribune reports that UPU, the apex socio-cultural organisation in Urhobo land, has in an advertorial publication reportedly thrown its weight behind a governorship aspirant, Chief David Edevbie, to emerge PDP candidate ahead of its primary.

Addressing journalists on behalf of others at the press conference, Chairman of Ughelli South Local Government Area, Dr. Richard Kofi, said it was clear from the advertorial that the current leadership of the UPU was being misguided.

Kofi, who was flanked by his counterparts, said; “Our reaction, therefore, is to guide and passionately appeal to the UPU leadership, whose primary duty is to promote the culture and tradition of the Urhobo people to strictly adhere to the vision and mission of the founding fathers.

“Without priding ourselves, local government council chairmen, who are the key political stakeholders, especially at the grassroots, which is the basic foundation of any political endeavour, were not consulted or carried along.

“If we as local government council chairmen were carried along in this decision, we would have offered our candid advice and perhaps avert this adoption of one aspirant amongst other qualified sons of Urhobo nation.

“We have been following the political development in Delta State from 1999 till date, and in the build up to the forthcoming 2023 general election with keen interest.

“We are not happy with the decision of the Urhobo Progress Union, UPU the apex socio-cultural body of Urhobo people to adopt any aspirant as the preferred candidate of the Urhobo ethnic nationality whereas we have other Urhobo sons also contesting the gubernatorial election in Delta State.

“Wisdom would have taught us from history that the UPU coming out to adopt one aspirant as its candidate against others has never ended well and therefore should be discouraged in its entirety.

“The founding fathers of the UPU did not form the union as a political party, or as an extension of a political party nor a political pressure group, therefore it is an abnormality for the body to come to the political field or gallery to poke nose let alone adopting an aspirant.”

The association has, therefore, advised the UPU to make deliberate effort to unite its political class by rescinding its decision on the adoption.

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