The Unenurhie community in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State has outrightly rejected the recent election for the President-General and other executive positions of the Unenurhie Community Development Union (UCDU), citing gross violations of their community constitution.
The election, held on Friday, March 7, 2025, has sparked outrage among community members who claim the process was manipulated to favor certain interests. The Unenurhie community, which comprises two quarters—Enurhie and Uruwherun—expressed deep dissatisfaction over what they described as an electoral sham.
According to sources, the election, supervised by the Delta State Ministry of Women Affairs and led by Permanent Secretary Mrs. Agas, deviated from the approved delegate system outlined in the community’s constitution. It was alleged that shortly after the Chairman of Ughelli North Local Government Council left the venue, Mrs. Agas and Chief Kenneth Ukpebitere altered the agreed procedure, allowing non-delegates to participate in the voting process.
One of the contestants for President-General, Mr. Okpawaire Kingdom, accused the ministry’s officials and the election umpire of disregarding the official list of over sixty accredited delegates, some of whom had traveled from Lagos specifically for the election. He alleged that Chief Ukpebitere masterminded a scheme to replace legitimate voters with outsiders, effectively hijacking the process.
“The majority of those who voted were not even indigenes of Unenurhie,” Kingdom lamented. “They were mercenaries brought in to manipulate the outcome. This election is a total fraud, and we will not accept it.”
Read also: A’ Ibom emerges cleanest state in Africa
He called on the state government to intervene, insisting that the results be nullified to uphold peace and security in the community.
However, Chief Kenneth Ukpebitere, the President-General of the Evwreni Clan Improvement Union (ECIU), denied any wrongdoing. He claimed that the decision to allow open voting was made collectively by stakeholders present, in an attempt to prevent chaos over conflicting delegate lists.
“For me, peace is paramount. Considering the crisis that has plagued Evwreni Kingdom in recent years, we needed a solution that would not escalate tensions,” Ukpebitere explained.
As tensions mount, calls for a fresh election conducted in line with the community’s constitution grow louder. The Unenurhie people insist that only a credible process can restore confidence in their leadership and ensure lasting peace.
