By Our Correspondent
The New Delta Grassroot Movement, a coalition of citizens from the 24 kingdoms of the Urhobo nation, has issued an open letter to the Orodje of Okpe Kingdom, Major General Felix Mujakuperuo (Rtd), appealing to the revered monarch to intervene in what the group describes as a growing political imbalance in Delta Central Senatorial District.
In the letter signed by its convener, Engr. Felix Akpoyibo, the group expressed deep concern that both Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and Senator Ede Dafinone hail from the same Okpe Kingdom, leaving the other 23 Urhobo kingdoms with neither executive nor senatorial representation. The group warned that unless the senate seat is zoned to a different kingdom in the next electoral cycle, the concentration of power could trigger the kind of intra-ethnic crises that have repeatedly torn apart communities across Nigeria.
The letter, addressed to the monarch who also serves as Chairman of the Delta State Traditional Rulers Council, acknowledged his nineteen years of visionary leadership but respectfully urged him to use his fatherly counsel to ensure fairness. The group noted that the Urhobo nation comprises 24 distinct kingdoms, each with its own history, dialect, and aspirations, including Agbarha-Otor, Agbarho, Agbon, Arhavwarien, Ewu, Idjerhe, Mosogar, Oghara, Ogor, Okere, Okpe, Olomu, Orogun, Oruarivie-Abraka, Udu, Ughelli, Ughievwen, Umiaghwa-Abraka, Uvwie, Uwheru, and others.
Engr. Akpoyibo drew parallels with past Nigerian crises that escalated into bloodshed when political power became concentrated in one subgroup. He cited the Ife-Modakeke crisis of 1997 to 2000, which claimed over 2,000 lives and displaced more than 100,000 people, arising from perceived exclusion of the Modakeke community from political and traditional leadership. He also recalled the Warri crisis of 1997 to 2003 in Delta State itself, where struggles over political representation among Itsekiri, Urhobo, and Ijaw communities led to hundreds of deaths, destruction of villages, and displacement of over 200,000 persons.
The convener further referenced the Zangon Kataf crisis in Kaduna State, where Hausa-Fulani dominance over local government leadership resulted in over 1,000 deaths and months of curfew, as well as the Tiv-Jukun conflicts in Taraba State which claimed over 500 lives in 2001 alone. In each case, the letter noted, peace was only restored after the enforcement of power-sharing and rotation of political offices among contending groups.
The group warned that warning signs are already visible in Urhoboland. Senator Dafinone himself, in August 2025, called on the Urhobo nation to unite or risk being lost in the Nigerian equation. However, the group argued that unity cannot be built on a foundation where one kingdom holds both the governorship and the Senate seat. Additionally, the letter pointed to public disagreements within the Okpe Kingdom itself, including the Okpe Union’s recent accusation that the monarch had sacrificed Okpe national interest for political expediency.
Engr. Akpoyibo stressed that the group is not calling for the removal of Governor Oborevwori, whose eight-year tenure the monarch has described as nonnegotiable. Rather, the appeal is for the senate seat to rotate to another kingdom, such as Agbon, Ughelli, Ughievwen, or Udu, while Okpe retains the governorship. The convener asked why the principle of zoning should apply only to the governorship and not to the senate seat.
The letter also referenced the traditional role of royal fathers in averting national crises, quoting former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo’s acknowledgment that traditional rulers helped curtail the bombing of oil installations by Niger Delta militants and the secessionist uprising in the South East. The group urged the Orodje to exercise similar leadership in Urhoboland by using his influence to ensure that the next senatorial ticket is zoned to a non-Okpe kingdom.
The New Delta Grassroot Movement concluded that the Urhobo nation stands at a crossroads between inclusive politics and the path of dominance that history shows leads to tragedy. The group expressed confidence in the monarch’s wisdom and prayed for his continued reign. The letter ended with the traditional Urhobo salute, Umogu.
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