When the Urhobo PGs Found Their Voice
By Moses Darah
The Forum of Presidents-General of the 24 Urhobo Kingdoms has suddenly found its voice. The forum has publicly endorsed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and APC candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections. The declaration was loud, confident and emphatic.
But there is another issue on which the same forum has been remarkably quiet: the continued incarceration of the Okuama leaders for over two years by the Nigerian Army despite a valid court order directing they be released unconditionally.
That silence becomes even more difficult to understand because Prof. Arthur Ekpekpo, one of the detained Okuama leaders, is himself the President-General of Ewu Development Union. One would expect the plight of a fellow President-General, particularly one detained in connection with the Okuama crisis, to command the attention and solidarity of a body that says its primary responsibility is to protect the interests and welfare of its people.
The contrast is striking. When politics calls, the PGs gather, speak and endorse. When one of their own is behind bars, however, the public voice appears to disappear.
This is not an argument against anyone’s political choice. The Presidents-General are entitled to their political positions. But leadership cannot be measured only by the ability to endorse politicians. It must also be measured by the courage to speak for people facing hardship, injustice or detention.
If the forum can speak collectively about political leadership in 2027, it should also be capable of speaking collectively about the plight of Okuama and the detained leaders, including one of its own.
The question is simple: if the PGs can find a united voice for politics, why have they not found a united voice for Okuama?
