By Francis Sadhere
The Delta State All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship candidate, Olorogun O’tega Emerhor has identified disunity among the Urhobos in the State as the only threat to an Urhobo son becoming the Governor of the State in 2015.
He added that the emergence of Senator Ifeanyi Okowa as the gubernatorial flag bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta State was no threat for an Urhobo man emerging as Governor in 2015, noting that Labour Party and its flag bearer, Chief Great Ogboru want to divide Urhobo votes.
Emerhor said this during an interactive session with the youth wing of the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU), the apex socio-cultural group of the Urhobo nation of Delta State.
He said: “I tell you, the greatest threat of the Urhobos is not Okowa. The greatest threat is labour Party and the disunity amongst the Urhobos. Labour Party has no presidential candidate. Labour Party wants to deceive us. They say Jonathan is our son. Urhobo should not be deceived. You must support a party that will carry you to the end.”
He therefore, called on the Labour Party (LP) flag bearer in the state, Chief Great Ogboru to join hands with him to make the Urhobo dream of occupying government house, Asaba, a reality.
He reiterated the original Uvwiamughe declaration that says that Urhobos will no longer align themselves with mushroom parties, adding that Labour Party has no national strength and cannot match the PDP in the 2015 general election.
“There was an original ovwiamughe declaration. Urhobos have said they are tired of dealing with mushroom parties. We all know that PDP is gone forever. We also know that APC now has fourteen Governors in the country.
“You should not fold your hands and watch some people deceive us. Don’t be deceived. We are here to make sure that an Urhobo man becomes the Governor of this state. Before now, we have been supporting a small party. Now we have the APC and we cannot risk supporting small parties again. I have supported Chief Ogboru before and now is his turn to support me. You people should tell him (Ogboru) that now is his turn to support me. If he does that, Urhobos will remember him for this sacrifice. He is my brother. If we are divided against ourselves then we are gone, “O’tega said.
The APC governorship candidate while listing some of his programmes to the youth said if he eventually becomes the governor of the state, he was going to set aside ten billion naira empowerment funds for the youths to fight unemployment in the state.
He also said that when he becomes the governor of the state he was going to ensure that the elderly persons in the state will have social security.
While lamenting that the PDP has mismanaged the resources of the state for the past 16 years, Emerhor said it was high time they kicked PDP out of government house, Asaba.
He said the youth are the engine room of the Urhobo nation, urging them to do all within their powers to ensure that an Urhobo man emerges the governor in 2015.
He said: “The Urhobo governorship is coming through a Democrat process. You the youths are the engine room of the Urhobo governorship ticket. I commend the Urhobo youth for organizing this forum that has enabled us to gather ourselves here today.”
“We have enough money for everybody in this state. What we lack is fair use of resources. We are ready to work. The youth are ready to work. Ten billion empowerment funds will be made available to the youths. There will be money for everybody. Our elderly people will be on social security. Other programs will ensure that our government will support moribund industry. We are going to utilize all the money coming into the local government. Today all the money coming to local government is being wasted. We will ensure that the local governments will be the center for development. The youths will be champion of development and I tell you, it is you that has the power,” Emerhor added.
Earlier the President of the youth wing of the UPU, Comrade Ovie Igho had vowed to mobilize Urhobo youths in the State to ensure that an Urhobo son becomes the next governor of the state in 2015.
While saying that the PDP has died a natural death and would lose millions of Urhobo votes at the state and national level, Igho added that the Urhobos have suffered untold hardship in the hands of the present administration both at the state and national level and they would do everything to ensure that it produces the next governor of the state.
