By Ola ‘Kiya, Reporting
Ahead of the 2023 Delta State governorship election, the youth wing of the sociocultural group, Urhobo Progress Union (UPU), Worldwide, has appealed to its elders not to sacrifice them on the altar of political exigencies.
National President of UPU Youth Wing, Comrade Duru Nixon Ufuoma, made the appeal on Thursday during a press conference at Agbarho, Ughelli North Local Government Area of the state.
Ufuoma said the group has been working to educate youths on how not to be used for ulterior motives by selfish politicians ahead of the polls.
He, however, reiterated that Urhobo elders and leaders of thought should support the initiative of educating the youth on electoral best practices.
He said Urhobo youths must not be used as guinea pigs or to quench parochial thirsts in the forthcoming political dispensation.
“Our elders must not scare or misuse us. They must open their arms and cage us in their lines of wisdom so we can have a straight and promising future.
“It is the interest of the Urhobo that we are clamouring for while our individual interest is secondary, hence we don’t want some persons, who are followers of these aspirants, to start seeing themselves as enemies to one another.
“Urhobo leaders should endeavour to support this noble cause and join us in creating the necessary awareness for the teeming youths,” he pleaded.
Ufuoma, however, described UPU as the greatest heritage of the ethnic group.
Urhobo youths must “nurture the heritage by practising the path of peace, unity and progress.
“We must love ourselves. With love, we shall know that we are brothers from the same root of Urhobo family. We must retain our core culture and tradition.
“We must frequently interact with our elders. The Urhobo Leadership and Business Round Table Forum should be embraced by all, where Urhobo youths and the elders as well as politicians will share the same table of thought.
“This kind of forum must be encouraged as it serves as a platform for cross-pollination of ideas between the youth and the Urhobo elders and politicians.
“It should be noted that such an avenue shall help to reveal certain truths and propel ideas that shall help in easier transition of authority and knowledge.”
The appeal by the youths is coming on the heels of the gentleman agreement among the three senatorial districts of Delta State on governorship rotation which turn is Delta Central come 2023.
Stonix News reports that no fewer than 10 Urhobo governorship aspirants from the ruling People’s Democratic (Party PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) have indicated interest in the plumb job.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has, recently, rolled out the timetable for the 2023 general elections.
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