UPU ELECTIONS: A REASON TO BREAK MY OWN PROTOCOL
-Zik Gbemre
Given the level of receiver actions, engagements my piece of mind on coming UPU election has elicited, I had opted not to join issues with anyone on the shades of opinions, toxic, malicious or honest.
With some of the extended arguments on unending outpouring of responses, I've been compared to change my mind a little. The shift is not necessarily to join issues on the initial position taken, but to first, calibrate some of the twisted interpretations to the original opinion and second, point to some jaundiced conclusions among the pouring reactions, as it affect the precarious state of our reveled Urhobo nation at the moment.
Whether deliberately or inadvertently, the attempt to promote that I, Zik Gbemre has changed his perception or position on the coming elections is totally misplaced. A few persons who amplified this narrative also wrongly suggested that I have personal grouse against Ohwofa or anyone else in the race for the UPU EXCO positions.
Some rightly posted that I rate highly compromised failure incumbent UPU PG, Ese Gam, above Ohwofa on who the cap fits as next PG.
Rightly so, there was never any change of mind. I never had any personal grouse with Ohwofa. Ese Gam has proven so undeserving that any candidate against him is more deserving. Ese Gam failed woefully as PG UPU.
So my unwavering point remains that as the only opposition candidate, Ohwofa is more deserving than Ese Gam, but that should not give room to exaggerating the credentials or patriotism Ohwofa, Mike Igini and co to the Urhobo cause.
I support Ohwofa and his team above Ese Gam's led EXCO but maintain that such position does not mean the opposition team has shown enough commitment to Urhobo cause to make them most deserving.
Some supporters tried to justify Ohwofa's level of patriotism to Urhobo's cause with the claim that he prefers to work behind camera, pure euphemism for cover-up. There is not thing as working behind camera in glamouring for the growth of your people. The impact never hides.
The sage, Olorogun Michael Ibru, never held any UPU position through his life but no one, not even successive UPU PGs and EXCOs impacted lives among Urhobos than him. His business empire, he empowered a lot of Urhobos, the impact so loud for all to see without him bragging about it. Senator Fred Brume was another great Urhobo patriot who did much for Urhobo people as the inaugural chief executive officer of Delta Steel Company(DSC).
Now to the extraneous concerns, one of the reactions captured Urhobo as being oppressed. Absolutely wrong, so defeatist opinion. Who oppresses Urhobo? Nobody but Urhobo.
Urhobo is self oppressed. It's sheer display of inferiority complex for Urhobo to cry 'we're being oppressed' where they're the clear majority in Delta state and have enjoyed political prominence in Bayelsa since nascent democracy in 1999.
Again, we must stop misplacing impunity as being induced by constitutional flaws. I keep saying it, even in the larger Nigerian setting, we blame the constitution unjustly when we should be blaming abuse of office and statutes.
Breaching the constitution to gain undue advantage cannot be blamed on the constitution. The UPU Constitution, no matter how compromised by amendment does not fix any outrageous cost for purchase of expression of interest form for the coming election.
The audacity of Ese Gam EXCO and its rubber stamp EXCO to fabricate outrageous cost for nomination forms to distract and discourage opposition is not a reflection of weaknesses in the UPU constitution.
Even their timeline for the election is in clear breach of the constitution. So flouting the guidelines with that "notin dem fit do" posture cannot be blamed on the UPU Constitution. And it's wrong of those who know not to have spoken against it.
Did Ese Gam go round Urhobo kingdoms before he was imposed by Okowa? Ese Gam was imposed on Urhobos because Urhobos marginalised and oppressed selves. Urhobos kept quiet when Ese Gam was parading self with beads over his neck jumping from one UPU-UK to UPU-Americas event where he was all self glorification and never considered it appropriate to protect interests of Urhobo people.
Ese Gam's led UPU has been a disaster, shameful because Urhobos allowed him to oppress them.
Zik Gbemre
November 29,2025
We Mobilize Others To Fight For Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes
