As the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) gears up for its pivotal elections on December 5th, strict adherence to the Constitution is non-negotiable, especially Section 10.1, which explicitly defines the lawful composition of the Annual Urhobo National Congress.
The Constitution is clear—it does not tolerate guesses, approximations, selective inclusions, or politically motivated delegate lists. It provides a precise numerical structure that is binding and cannot be altered.
The Electoral Committee MUST comply.
1. SECTION 10.1 — THE EXACT AND ONLY VALID COMPOSITION OF THE ANNUAL CONGRESS
According to Section 10.1 (Page 18) of the Constitution:
The Annual Urhobo National Congress shall consist ONLY of the following categories and numbers:
A. ALL MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL (NEC)
– Category: Automatic Delegates
– Number: All NEC members (no exclusions)
No NEC member may be removed, omitted, or replaced on the delegate list.
B. ALL MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES (BoT)
– Category: Automatic Delegates
– Number: All BoT members
The Electoral Committee has NO authority to determine their eligibility; they are included by constitutional mandate – period.
C. ALL MEMBERS OF THE FORUM OF PRESIDENT-GENERAL OF KINGDOM
– Category: Automatic constitutional delegates
– Number: 24 – All members
Every recognized President-General of Urhobo kingdom must be included – no exceptions.
D. ALL MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL OF REPRESENTATIVES
– Category: Automatic Delegates
– Number: All Council members
Absolutely no exclusions allowed.
E. 20 MEMBERS FROM EACH OF THE 24 KINGDOMS IN URHOBO LAND
This is the most critical numerical requirement.
The Constitution states unequivocally:
“20 members of the UPU from each of the 24 Kingdoms in Urhobo Nation, selected by the Traditional Rulers of each of the 24 Kingdoms.” — Section 10.1(e), Page 18
This translates to:
➤ 20 delegates × 24 Kingdoms = 480 Kingdom Delegates
Rules:
– The Electoral Committee CANNOT modify, screen, adjust, or replace these 20 delegates.
– No kingdom is permitted to have more or fewer than 20 delegates.
– No new kingdoms can be created or eliminated.
Any deviation from this number is a blatant constitutional violation.
F. FOUR (4) MEMBERS FROM REGISTERED URHOBO BRANCHES/SUB-BRANCHES OUTSIDE URHOBO LAND
The Constitution clearly states:
“Four (4) members from the branches/sub-branches outside Urhobo land.” — Section 10.1(f)
This means:
➤ 4 delegates ONLY, representing ALL diaspora branches collectively.
No diaspora branch can impose additional numbers, nor can the Electoral Committee assign more than 4 delegates to this category.
G. TWO (2) PRINCIPAL OFFICERS OF THE REGISTERED URHOBO SOCIO-CULTURAL GROUP OUTSIDE URHOBO LAND
According to the Constitution:
“Two (2) principal officers (President & Secretary) of the Registered Urhobo Socio-Cultural Group outside Urhobo land.” — Section 10.1(g)
Therefore:
➤ Only 2 individuals qualify. Not 5, not 10, and certainly not “representatives.” Precisely TWO.
H. FIVE (5) PRINCIPAL OFFICERS OF THE WOMEN’S WING OF THE UPU (Eghweya R’Urhobo)
As outlined in Section 10.1(h):
➤ 5 delegates ONLY from the Women’s Wing—no more, no less. Not 7, not 20, and not “all executives.” Exactly five.
I. FIVE (5) PRINCIPAL OFFICERS OF THE YOUTH WING OF THE UPU (Ukoko R’Ighele R’Urhobo)
Section 10.1(i) is explicit:
➤ 5 Youth Wing principal officers. This number is non-negotiable.
2. WHAT THIS MEANS FOR THE ELECTORAL COMMITTEE
The Electoral Committee is required to produce a delegate list that EXACTLY mirrors the constitutional numbers specified in Section 10.1.
– No additions.
– No subtractions.
– No political adjustments.
– No “screening out” of kingdom nominees.
– No infiltration of parallel groups.
– No redefinition of categories or numbers.
The Committee does NOT possess the authority to reinterpret fixed numbers.
3. WHY STRICT COMPLIANCE IS CRUCIAL
Any violation of Section 10.1 will result in:
– A Congress that is improperly constituted.
– Invalid accreditation.
– Invalid votes.
– The entire election being declared null and void.
– The legitimacy of the next leadership being irreparably damaged.
This matter cannot be ignored
4. A DIRECT CONSTITUTIONAL CALL TO THE ELECTORAL COMMITTEE
Based on the uploaded Article 10 document, the Electoral Committee is hereby ordered to:
1. Publish a delegate list that reflects the EXACT numbers in Section 10.1. No more, no less.
2. Accept ALL 20 delegates per Kingdom without any interference. The selection process is the sole responsibility of the Traditional Rulers – NOT the Electoral Committee.
3. Restrict diaspora representation to 4 delegates total. No arbitrary expansions will be tolerated.
4. Recognize ONLY the 2 officers from socio-cultural groups outside Urhobo land, as mandated.
5. Limit Women’s and Youth Wings to exactly 5 delegates each, as dictated by the Constitution.
6. Include ALL NEC, BoT, PG-Forum, and Council of Representatives members—absolutely no omissions.
Any deviation will be seen as an illegal reconstitution of Congress.
Signed
Barr. Akpojotor Efemena PhD
Urhobo Lawyers Congress (ULC)
