Why we returned Urhobos to PDP – Idonor

A senatorial aspirant in the Saturday Delta Central Senatorial District bye-election, Comrade Daniel Ovwigho Idonor, has given reasons why politicians and leaders of thought of Urhobo extraction in Delta State decided to return their people to the ruling Peoples Democratic Party.
Idonor said: “We the Urhobos have for too long been deprived of our maximum benefits from the polity.”
Idonor, who has been in the office of President Goodluck Jonathan for about a decade now, after a very wide consultation with rulers and leaders of Urhobo, decided to contest the bye-election into the senatorial seat of Delta Central, on the ground that an Ewhu man should be given the remain two years tenure of a fellow Ewhu man and his teacher, late Senator Pius Ewherido, who died recently.
But Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, and the Chief of Staff to the President, Asiwaju Mike Oghiadomhe, advised him to step down for the winner of the bye-election, Hon. Emmanuel Aguariavwode.
In a statement after a congratulatory visit to the residence of the senator-elect in Okpare Olomu, Idonor declared: “Never again shall the Urhobos be misguided by few individuals to the detriment of the rest of us.”
He said that the entire Urhobo nation resolved to return to the PDP.
He disclosed that the Urhobos from history have been in the forefront of mainstream politics and as a result “a child can only learn what his parents do”.
He added: “We the Urhobo ethnic group, the fifth largest in Nigeria were part of the PDP from the formation stage; but when one of our own was denied a ticket in 2007, he left the party and our people also followed him in protest; but after a painstaking discussions and consultations which culminated in a close door meeting between President Goodluck Jonathan and Urhobo Leaders which I was also in attendance, I am happy to inform you that today Urhobo nation has fully returned home to the PDP, because we were part of the building process.
“The Urhobos from history have been in the forefront of mainstream politics and as a result we have not changed; yes we were wronged but now, I think it’s all over. There is a popular saying that a child can only learn what his parents do.”
He commended the rather larger than life heart of Governor Uduaghan for his support and encouragement during the journey by the Urhobos from Egypt to Israel.
The journalist cum politician revealed that “Uduaghan does not hate the Urhobos, as being alleged by few who do not see afar, but what happened is that we the Urhobos did not believe that Uduaghan can do more for the Urhobo than a blooded Urhobo individual.
“I do not work for the governor, the state or the Federal Government, so whether I speak good or bad about, I have nothing to lose. My people say you do not ask a man seated on the floor to stand up for you to sit. Uduaghan is simply an Itsekiri blood in Urhobo.”
“The emergence of Senator-Elect Aguariavwodo on the platform of our great party, the PDP, to occupy the only Urhobo slot in the Senate is a clear testimony that indeed, Urhobos have returned.
“With this victory by PDP, Urhobo land is now open for massive infrastructural development by both the state and federal governments.”
While saluting the doggedness and dexterity of every great Urhobo ruler, leaders, politicians, especially the leadership of the Urhobo Progress Union, Urhobo professionals, youths and women groups, as well as every other stakeholder for the return of Urhobos to the PDP, Idonor urged President Goodluck Jonathan and Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan to commence an immediate development agenda for Urhoboland and the rest of Delta State and Nigeria.
He said: “Our people in Ewhu, Okparabe and Arhavwaren kingdoms have suffered for too long over lack of basic amenities and so much other deprivation by both the state and the federal government; insisting that Urhobo waterside must be opened up like the rest of the waterside in the state.
“The challenges of saturday by-election in these three wards with 56 polling units were largely due to insecurity , occasioned by lack of access roads, engine boats and communication, as there are no enough gsm mast to cover the entire area. As a result, officials were afraid to go into the creeks.”
While applauding the emergence of Aguariavwodo, Idonor urged him to as a matter of urgency commence the process of strengthening the ongoing reconciliation between the Urhobo nation and every other stakeholder in Nigerian state.
He also commended Urhobo sons and daughters who aspired or contested the Senate seat, particularly the PDP aspirants, and their uncommon resolve to stand behind Aguariavwodo both financially and humanly.
He said that there was no wrongdoing showing interest in what belongs to Urhobo.