The 2025 Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) National Election has been thrown into turmoil as Project Rescue Urhobo (PRU) accused the National Executive Council (NEC) and the Electoral Committee of serial constitutional violations that have allegedly compromised the integrity of the entire process.
PRU issued the warning in a press statement on Wednesday, signed by Prince Noble Otadaferua (Convener), Comrade Daniel Etaga (Secretary), and Comrade Peter Darah (Publicity Secretary), insisting that the election cannot be credible under the current conditions.
PRU said the crisis stems from what it described as the NEC and Electoral Committee’s “deliberate refusal to publish critical information required to ensure a free, fair, and transparent election,” including the official list of branches and the validated delegate list.
The group cited breaches of multiple constitutional provisions, most notably Article 21.2(h), which mandates the publication of all registered branches and sub-branches. Instead, PRU alleged the bodies “failed to publish the official list, secretly created or altered branches, and manipulated membership to exclude legitimate branches,” actions it said, amount to “deliberate voter engineering.”
The organisation further accused the Electoral Committee of producing a delegate list “outside constitutional guidelines,” alleging that unqualified delegates from branches less than 12 months old were added, while the list itself has been withheld from candidates.
According to PRU, this constitutes a violation of Article 10.1, which establishes the structure of the Annual National Congress. It added that timelines were altered without authority and important guidelines were released abruptly and without consultation, in breach of Article 22.2(h).
PRU also faulted what it called the “overreach and unconstitutional behaviour” of the Electoral Committee, claiming it attempted to disqualify aspirants on “illegal grounds,” altered electoral procedures, and operated “as though above the Constitution.”
It further alleged breaches of membership rules under Article 8, manipulation of accreditation procedures, and the inclusion of branches expressly barred from voting under Article 10.1(vii).
Aligning with earlier concerns raised by the group Make Urhobo Great Again (MUGA), PRU said the same failures—particularly the refusal to publish branches, membership records, and the delegate list even with less than 24 hours to Congress—confirm a “deliberate attempt to manipulate the outcome.” It warned that confidence in the election has collapsed across the Urhobo Nation.
Declaring that, “no free, fair, or credible election can take place under these conditions,” PRU demanded the immediate publication of all branches and sub-branches, the full delegate list, and the verification of eligible branches under the 12-month rule.
PRU also called for clear communication of accreditation procedures before Congress. The group urged the Board of Trustees, Council of Representatives, Ukoko r’ivie, and the Forum of PGs to intervene and restore constitutional order.
