THE politics of who becomes governor in Delta State has followed a pattern since the start of this democracy. The Urhobos feel the thing should always come to them to settle the bigger issue of the politics of the state. It is a sore point that was inflicted right at inception, when the state was created on August 27, 1991 by then military president, General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida. The understanding then and till now is that new states should be created along the old provincial lines, but in the specific case of Delta, Asaba, which is not part of the old Delta Province, was not only appropriated into the state, but named its headquarters.
In terms of location, Asaba is closer to Anambra State (separated only by the Niger and literally a stone throw from Onitsha) than it is to Warri, the headquarters of the old Delta Province. There was no ready justification for this. Some people explained that IBB did it as a marital gift to his wife Maryam, now late, who hailed from Asaba. Others said it happened that way because the groups in the core Delta, especially the Urhobos and the Itsekiris, could not agree on a common location for the capital and a third consideration – Asaba – was introduced to stop the in-fighting.
Whichever, the point to note is that 23 years down the journey, the sore has refused to heal completely and each time the contest for the governorship seat comes up, the old wound opens to expose buried grievances. It is the same point that the leadership of the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU), the umbrella organisation of the Urhobo people under Chief Joe Omene is making regarding the 2015 contest. Rightly or wrongly, the Urhobos see the governorship as a permanent compensation for the loss of the state capital and the governorship of Delta State can hardly be discussed with them outside the issue of the location of the capital.
This is however on one hand. On the other hand is the argument for equity in the state, which runs on a geo-political tripod of North, South and Central. While the North and South are cut along ethnic and dialectical lines, the Central is exclusively populated by the Urhobos. By May 29, the Central and South would have had eight years apiece in the 16 years of this democracy. Chief James Ibori who took the first shot when the journey started in 1999 is an Urhobo from Ethiope West local government area. He ran full course, between 1999 and 2007, and handed over to the incumbent, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan an Itsekiri from Warri North local government area, who will also finish eight years on May 29.
This naturally sets the stage for a Northern performer in 2015 and probably till 2023, before the Central and the Urhobos can push for another legitimate claim. The North, which for now, is favoured by this power rotation arrangement calls it ‘Equity 2015’ and it has appropriately built its campaign for the governorship around it.
It sounds good except that the Central is insisting on all sides coming to the equity table with unsoiled hands. In one of his arguments to back the Urhobo claim for the governorship in 2015, the UPU leader, Chief Omene stated that for objectivity, the equity theory should be stretched to cover appointments at the centre. Specifically, he was searching for equity in an arrangement that offered the North a permanent finance minister and now the Central Bank Governor in a federation where the Urhobos, purportedly the fifth ethnic nationality, had lived for almost six years with nothing until very recently.
Chief Omene also noted that the power shift policy of the PDP has operated more in breach than otherwise over the years and that the Urhobos should not be blackmailed with it to capitulate sheepishly and allow the PDP candidate in Delta State unchallenged ride to power. He mentioned Benue, Kaduna and even Rivers as States where the rule has not applied to address perceived geo-political imbalances. He said the unconstitutional rule of equity is invoked only when it is convenient and should not be used to box a majority group in the state into an underdog.
Of the 25 council areas in the state, the Urhobos occupy exclusively eight and parts of two others in Delta South. Estimates put them at above 50 per cent of both the population and registered voters and if they come together under a free and fair contest, they definitely have the numbers to swing victory.
This is the crux of the matter. Two sets of critical variables must fall on the same line to make electoral or political capital out of that demographic strength. There must be unity of purpose and a transparent system that appropriately rewards efforts. So far and good, there is a disturbing incapacity on the part of the Urhobos to unite for a common purpose and also to engage the Nigerian system on its own terms. And so, since 2007 and even 2003, the Urhobos have been ‘winning’ governorship elections including the January 6, 2011 re-run between Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan and Chief Great Ogboru following the nullification of the 2007 governorship election by the Appeal Court sitting in Benin, but they have not been able to secure victory.
Why it is so is perhaps a subject for scholarly inquisition. For now, I only want to say new results do not come from doing things the same way. Just as it was in previous efforts, the UPU has begun a mobilization to make every Urhobo vote to count for Urhobo interest in the 2015 governorship election in the state. Good! But seeing the current approach, it is doubtful if the lessons of the past have been assimilated.
The missteps of yesteryears manifested so glaringly in the build-up to and at the PDP governorship primary in the state. Chiefs Ovie Omo-Agege and Kenneth Gbagi both aspirants and whom the UPU had reportedly asked to step down and queue behind the Urhobo preferred candidate, Mr. David Edevbie, refused blatantly to abide even with the threat of sanctions. They chose instead to weaken the front. The worm that eats the tree cannot live outside of it. Power is never given, not even on a wooden platter and the quest for it should go far beyond mere aspiration.
The final result of the primary gave Senator Arthur Okowa, the winner, 406 votes as against David Edevbie’s 299. If the assumption was that Edevbie got votes only from Urhobo delegates, it means about one third of the 420 Urhobo delegates did not vote for him. Yet the Urhobo votes were neither taken by Omo-Agege nor Gbagi, both of whom froze at 10 and two votes respectively. The bulk Urhobo votes were enough to return Edevbie without further ado. Also, in a contest where the North of the state had close to 10 contestants, the possibility of an unshared block zonal votes going to the eventual winner did not exist.
In fact, Mr. Victor Ochie, the second runner-up and the other contestants from the Anioma part of the state polled a total of about 300 votes outside Okowa’s. The only contestant from the South, Godsdey Orubebe got 48 votes. It means the Central or the Urhobos constituted the feasting zones for the northern contestants, including Senator Okowa.
It is a democracy where majority carries the day. If the Urhobo majority is unable to carry the day and the minority either through manipulation or outright intimidation becomes a majority, the Urhobos should have none but themselves to blame. The vision to hold permanently the governorship seat of Delta State is cheap; any quarter can have such dream. What is rather expensive and difficult to come by is the strategy at delivering such grand vision. Perhaps the strategy of mass attack and mass defence has not worked and requires re-tooling or outright abandonment for something better.
Put differently, since the Urhobos do not have all it takes - including cash and character - to do effective battle, they can go into strategic alliances with others to achieve the same purpose of enhancing their stake of the common wealth. Whichever way the yam germinates - from the head or tail – it will develop into a full tuber in the end. Even now, the UPU is facing the enormous challenge of getting two strong Chiefs, O’tega Emerho of the APC and Great Ogboru of LP, governorship election regular, to collapse their structures into a front to tackle the PDP at the polls.
It is hoped that this will be achieved before D-day. The alternative, which is less stressful but most unpalatable by popular taste, is to go into business with the PDP candidate, Senator Arthur Okowa. Almost everybody agrees he is a fine gentleman, with whom the Urhobos and others in the state can do good business. I think also it is a good option, just in case! I shall continue next week.


http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/opinion/columnist/192626-ogbodo-delta-2015-a-place-for-the-urhobos