Uduaghan Halts UPF Meeting In Sapele

The alleged gang up against the Urhobo Nation ahead of the 2011 general elections thickened over the weekend as the Delta State Governor Dr. Emmanuel Ewetan Uduaghan, allegedly halted the schedule Urhobo Political Forum (UPF) meeting billed to hold on the 20th of September, 2009 in Sapele from holding, citing security reports as the reason behind the action. UPF had scheduled the date to hold its Sapele rally after the first attempt to hold it in the metropolitan town was thwarted by the kidnapped of one of the UPF heavy weight and a member of Delta State House of Assembly Hon. Monday Ovwigho Igbuya which led to the cancellation of the rally then. Niger Delta STANDARD reliably gathered that there is a growing apprehension in government circle as a result of the growing popularity of the forum which is today considered as the only genuine Urhobo platform that is sincere in championing the cause of the Urhobo People political interest come 2011, and is therefore desirous of cutting it to size before the situation becomes too difficult to control.

The governor it was noted acted on the advice of some Urhobo politicians who warned against the consequences of allowing the UPF leader Chief Ighoyota Amori to continue with the speed with which the forum is campaigning and recruiting members across the state. Not wanting to take any chance that could stop it's second term ambition, the governor it was said used the security option as a way of stopping the Sapele rally which had been dubbed the mother of all rally.

Some members of the UPF who spoke to the Niger Delta STANDARD in Sapele condemned the action of the governor from stopping the rally maintaining that the action has further exposed the character of the governor to perceive or imagine opposition and as such is afraid of the UPF. The UPF member who spoke on the condition of anonymity, asked if Uduaghan could stop the Ijaws or the Itsekiris from holding meetings in their area, maintaining that the action of the Governor amount to affront on the Urhobo Nation and should not be tolerated.

He therefore advised the Urhobo people to rise up to the occasion by projecting a vibrant candidate for the election come 2011 to checkmate the arrogance of the governor. Rising from an emergency closed-door meeting of the UPF exco to assess the development, one of the leaders who spoke to NDS said that Uduaghan is no longer comfortable with the stand of UPF which remain the only genuine voice of the Urhobo People and therefore is doing everything he can to stop them.

Adding that the governor stand to benefit from the division of the Urhobo political class and is working assiduously to break the Urhobo political ranks to benefit stressing though that the UPF is not against the Uduaghan administration per-say but will not mortgage the interest of the Urhobos to please Uduaghan's ambition. He maintained that they have to put off the rally for the sake of peace in the state and a sign of political maturity on the part of the UPF. Noting however, that UPF decided to choose the path of peace but warn that the gentility of a lion should not be mis-costrued for cowardice.

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