Sometimes it becomes necessary to recall some iconic events from the archive of history in order to appreciate the present. A time was, some years ago, when James G. Orubu (ORUS) was in the center of Warri politics, that was before the local government was balkanized into North and South-West. That year, there was a zero-party election of chairman to Warri local government.

Warri Local Government is a cosmopolitan one with three indigenous tribes of Ijaw, Urhobo and Itsekiri. In this election, the Urhobos and the Ijaws decided to form a coalition in order to produce the chairman. After several meetings, they agreed or decided that the coalition was in the interest of democracy, equity and fairness.

HOW J.G. ORUBU BECAME THE CANDIDATE OF THE COALITION

In the process of nominating the chairman and the vice chairman or running mate, a drama ensued. On the final day of the nomination, a meeting was held in the house of Chief Dr. Esiri, the then political leader of the Urhobos in Warri, at No. 8 Cemetery Road, Warri, for 7pm. 

By 7pm on the fateful day, the key player of the coalition comprising Chief Daniel Okumagba, after all due protocols, the Chairman, Dr. Esiri, called on the political leader of the Urhobos, Chief Daniel Okumagba to introduce the Urhobo candidate, the nominated chairman of the Urhobos, which he did. Dr. Esiri then asked him to address the audience. The candidate quickly got up and started his address.

At the end, the Ijaws were then asked to introduce the vice, Apostle Paul Isewei, who was the political leader of the Ijaws in Warri. He introduced me to the audience thereafter. I was also asked to address the audience. After all due protocols, I started, just about the middle of my address there was a thunderous ovation from the audience and I was asked to sit down.

This is the point at which the drama ensued. At this point, a prominent Urhobo man moved that the Ijaw candidate, my humble self, should be the Chairman and that the proposed Urhobo Chairman should be the Vice. The mover of this motion gave his reasons to say that the Ijaw candidate was a better material for the job than the Urhobo candidate.

For once, Warri, known for her Trigamous dichotomy, decided not to sacrifice meritocracy on the alter of mediocracy, in the face of a compelling difference. How can we disappoint someone who have been nominated and hope raised? It is not fair. 
This division was 50/50 with no party yielding, resulting into acrimony and violence.

As deadlock was imminent, the Chairman, in his wisdom, called for a casting of lot to resolve the issue. This idea was adopted and a body was constituted for that. About 30 minutes later, the result was announced in favor of the Ijaw candidate. This is how the political tsunami was resolved to the credit of the Chairman, Dr. Esiri, an Urhobo who was very neutral.

This resolution was applauded and embraced by both parties. Campaign started and the Ijaws and Urhobos in Warri went into election, our team was victorious, but INEC rigged the election in favor of Itsekiri, one Mr. Ade was my opponent. INEC could not announce results for 7 days.

Of course, my team went into litigation with a team of lawyers led by a luminary in law, Dr. Mudiaga Odje and an interlocutory injunction was placed on the illegal chairman not to be sworn-in. However, my opponent was sworn-in illegally by the judgement of the Appeal Court.

We challenged the illegal swearing-in from the appeal court in Benin and proceeded to the Supreme court in Lagos where we got judgement after a year, my opponent used federal might to sustain himself throughout his tenure as the main case was not decided.

Despite the trigamous political dichotomy of Ijaw, Urhobo and Itsekiri in Warri metropolis, with its nepotism, the Urhobos were able to demonstrate sincerity in diversity.

This landmark case: ORUBU VS NEC IN SUPREME COURT JUDGMENT, DECEMBER 1988 PART II, Pages 254-312. The rest is history.

This could be an interesting read or narration to those who are interested in the politics of Ijaw, Urhobo and Itsekiri in Warri.  

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Pa. Chief James G. Orubu, a leader in Opuede Federated Community in the ancient Gbaramatu Kingdom, writes from Ogunu near Warri, Delta State.

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