NDC Ward 9 Rejects Palace Endorsement Politics In Ethiope East

The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) Ward 9, Eku, Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta State, has rejected what it described as “endorsement politics” ahead of the 2027 elections, insisting that the people will vote based on performance and not traditional palace endorsements.

The ward made its position known in a statement signed by its Chairman, Comrade Harrison Young Umukoro, on Monday, October 5, 2026, titled: “Ethiope East Is Not For Sale: We Will Vote Performance, Not Palace Endorsement.”

The NDC ward said while it respects the traditional institution and its custodians, it would not accept any arrangement that suggests that Ethiope East has only one qualified son capable of representing the constituency.

According to the statement, political office holders seeking the support of the people should rely on their records in office rather than endorsements secured from traditional rulers.

“Our fathers told us that when a farmer has a bountiful harvest, he does not need to beg neighbours to say his farm is big. The harvest will speak,” the statement said.

The ward questioned why traditional rulers should be brought into political efforts to persuade other qualified aspirants from Ethiope East to step down from the race.

It also criticised what it described as the transformation of the traditional palace into a campaign platform, urging political actors to allow all qualified sons of the constituency to contest freely.

The statement posed several questions concerning the performance of the Deputy Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, including what tangible benefits Ethiope East had received during his years in the House.

The ward also demanded to know what legislation had been sponsored to improve the lives of youths, what projects had been attracted to benefit market women, and the progress made on security and healthcare in the constituency.

“You cannot keep the people in darkness and then come with an endorsement letter to claim you brought light,” the statement declared.

The NDC Ward 9 leadership stressed that its position was not an attack on traditional rulers, noting that the people of Eku and Ethiope East respected their elders and traditional institutions.

However, it maintained that such respect should not be interpreted as an instruction to voters on who they must support politically.

“We will not vote because someone was endorsed in the palace. We will vote because someone performed in the street,” the ward declared.

The ward called for a shift from what it described as “old politics” and urged political aspirants to present their records and allow the electorate to make their choice.

“Ethiope East deserves better than this old politics,” the statement concluded.