The ancient political affinity between the people of the Urhobo nation and their Ndokwa brothers and sisters in Delta State, resonated on Friday when Delta Central 2023 otherwise known as DC-23 met with the Ndokwa Neku Union (NNU) in furtherance of the group’s penetration in Delta North Senatorial District to lobby stakeholders on the need for the governorship seat to rotate to Delta Central come 2023.
The DC-23 ably led by a frontline politician in Delta State, Chief Ighoyota Amori, had since the inauguration of the group on Saturday, May 22, 2021, at the PTI Conference Centre, Effurun in Uvwie Local Government Area of the state, embarked on consultation visits to various interest groups and prominent Deltans on the need for the sustenance of the ‘gentleman’ senatorial rotation agreement on the governorship position which was kick-started by former governor Emmanuel Uduaghan in 2007.
Speaking when the people of Ndokwa ethnic nationality under the auspices of Ndokwa Neku Union (NNU) received leaders and members of Delta Central 2023 lobby group at Ezhionum community, in Ukwuani Local Government Area, the union’s President-General, Mike Ndubisi (rtd), said Ndokwa nation has cultural, language and political affinities with the people of Delta Central Senatorial District.
Ndubisi admitted after the presentation of DC-23 that the position being canvassed by the Urhobo political lobby group was apt and suitable under the present political situation in Delta State.
He said, “The message is alien to some persons that are with me here because they heard it for the first time, and we are indeed very grateful.
“As you can see, the Ndokwa nation is ever ready for any situation, but I must say that there are so many affinities between the Urhobo and Ndokwa people in terms of culture, language, politics and everything.
“But unfortunately, we don’t have all our men here. The major stakeholders in politics are not here. We will go back and meet with key stakeholders of Ndokwa nation and articulate our own position and come back to you in a very big way.”
Earlier, the National Chairman of Delta Central 2023, Chief Ighoyota Amori, confirmed that the Ndokwa ethnic nationality has a lot of affinities with the people of Delta Central as it relates to marriage, language, politics, culture and otherwise.
He explained that DC-23 is a lobby group made up of card-carrying members of the PDP in Delta Central Senatorial District with an aim to lobby for the governorship seat to rotate to the Central come 2023.
He noted that the DC-23 is not different from G-3 of Delta South Senatorial District that was formed to drive the process of election of the immediate past governor of Delta State, Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan and Anioma Agenda that was formed in 2014 to propel the process of election of the current governor of the state, Senator (Dr.) Ifeanyi Okowa.
According to him, “Those who want to contest against aspirants of Delta Central Senatorial District have their argument for the governorship seat likewise us but we can’t talk of zoning on ethnic lines because the state is made up of various ethnic groups like Urhobo, Ijaw, Itsekiri, Isoko, Ika, Ndokwa, Oshimili, Aniocha and few others, hence the appeal for us to maintain the zoning arrangement on senatorial districts order”.
“We want to establish a sustainable system where when it gets to the turn of your senatorial district, no one from other senatorial districts will contest against the benefitting district. So the argument that Urhobo or other ethnic groups contested during the turn of other senatorial districts will no longer be there.”
