President General of the Okpe Union Worldwide, the oldest registered ethnic organization in Nigeria, Prof Igho Natufe, on Thursday deplored the endorsement of the Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Francis Oborevwori, as the sole candidate of the Urhobo Nation for the 2027 governorship election.
“If the Forum of Urhobo Traditional Rulers, Ukoko R’Ivie R’Urhobo. remained strictly apolitical”, as claimed by HRM Dr. Monday Obukohwo Whiskey, Udurhie I, Ovie of Idjerhe Kingdom and Spokesman of the Ukoko R’Ivie R’Urhobo, their endorsement of “Rt. Hon. Sheriff Francis Oborevwori, as the sole candidate of the Urhobo Nation for the 2027 governorship election” and their subsequent decree that “no other Urhobo governorship aspirant will be received or given royal blessings by traditional rulers in Urhobo land” is an unashamed mockery of the concept of apolitical’’.
He also urged the Urhobo traditional rulers to reverse their ill-advised “declaration” in order to protect the sanctity of their respective thrones.
“This declaration has brought grave disrepute to their respective thrones and dishonour to their HRM titles. Otherwise, they should be prepared to be “treated as politicians” with all the consequences attached to electioneering campaigns”
In a statement in Lagos, Natufe criticized the role of the Orodje of Okpe Kingdom, HRM Orhue l, in the recent gathering of the Urhobo Traditional Rulers.
“By doing so, he has wrongly subsumed Okpe ethnicity under an Urhobo appellation, which is diametrically opposed to historical facts as well as to his own stated position affirming Okpe as a distinct ethnic nationality”
The distinguished Nigerian-born Sovietologist, academic, public policy analyst, and community leader recalled the statement of the Orodje of Okpe Kingdom in North America where he succinctly declared Okpe as a unique ethnic nationality, with distinctive roots in ancient history, tradition, culture, customs and language.
“Our people are rooted in migration from the Bini Kingdom. This historical experience is similar to most other ethnic nationalities of the Western Niger Delta. Of all these nationalities however, Okpe History, language, tradition, and culture are closer to those of Bini which form part of the Edo group of languages.”
Widely recognized for his expertise in international relations, Soviet/Russian foreign policy, and his prominent leadership within the Okpe ethnic nationality in Nigeria, the staunch advocate for the recognition of the Okpe people as a distinct ethnic nationality argued that the Okpe language and identity are distinct from the Urhobo people, contrary to some linguistic classifications.
He underscored the position of the Udogun Okpe, the supreme organ for the traditional administration of the Okpe Kingdom.
“Okpe is indubitably known to be a distinct and autonomous Kingdom, an ethnic entity from its beginning. The people and their language are distinct and are named after their progenitor, Okpe, whose four sons founded the present day Okpe Kingdom”.
According to Natufe, a throne that campaigns for any political party or candidate automatically betrays the rest of the citizens of that given nationality.
“By doing so, the traditional ruler transforms his palace into a campaign headquarters for the said political party or candidate, a transformation which vitiates the sanctity of the throne. This is injurious to the reputation of the throne as the traditional ruler becomes a messenger, an errand man of the government. Prestige is lost, and the reputation of the kingdom is compromised”
He urged traditional rulers to stay out of politics or disrobe themselves from their kingships and join political parties of their choices.
“No traditional ruler, including our Orodje of Okpe Kingdom, is in a position to assure political parties on how Deltans and Okpe nationals will vote in any election. We are in a democratic polity, and not in a dictatorial or an absolute monarchical system. Traditional rulers must stay out of politics or disrobe themselves from their kingships and join political parties of their choices. It is disingenuous of them to hide behind the sanctuary of their palaces and engage in partisan politics under a dubious claim of being “apolitical”. Deltans, including Okpe nationals, will vote their conscience and discard the diktat of traditional rulers”
He also advised Okpe nationals to vote for candidates of their choice like they did in 2023.
“At a reception welcoming the First Lady, Senator Mrs. Remi Tinubu in Asaba, Delta State in late March 2025, in his capacity as the Chairman of the Delta State Council of Traditional Rulers, HRM Orhue l, the Orodje of Okpe Kingdom, declared that “come 2027, we Deltans will vote for President Tinubu”. This was not the precursor of political misadventure by Delta State’s traditional rulers. During the campaign for the 2023 national elections, for example, the Orodje of Okpe Kingdom’s renegade faction of the Okpe Union urged Okpe nationals to vote for “all” candidates of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). This interference of the Palace in partisan politics was designed to scuttle the chances of other Okpe nationals in rival political parties: for example, Okakuro Ede Dafinone (of the All Progressive Congress –APC) and Barr. Ben Etanabene (of the Labour Party – LP), who won their elections to the Senate and the House of Representatives, respectively, despite the intrusion of the Palace. The Will of the People must prevail over the dictatorial decree of any traditional ruler’’.
