A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Delta State, Hon. John Enakireru, popularly known as Osimi, has expressed disagreement with the recent endorsement of the incumbent Governor of Delta State, Sheriff Oborevwori, as the sole candidate for the 2027 governorship election. Enakireru called on the Urhobo traditional rulers to retract their recent endorsement of Oborevwori, describing the decision as unhealthy and capable of undermining the neutrality of the traditional institution.
According to Enakireru, the call became necessary because many people believe that royal fathers should remain apolitical rather than openly picking political candidates for their subjects or the general public. He stated that this position is consistent with the traditional rulers’ own admission in their resolutions and communique that traditional rulers are expected to remain apolitical.
Enakireru noted that traditional rulers are expected to maintain neutrality among all their subjects across the 24 kingdoms of the Urhobo nation, rather than contributing to political tension and division through endorsements. He said they should not be involved in politically motivated decisions or utterances capable of questioning their credibility and impartiality.
The ADC chieftain further noted that openly endorsing a candidate could give the public the impression that the traditional rulers are self-seeking or have been influenced by political patronage, rather than acting as selfless custodians of culture, tradition and communal values. He reiterated that traditional rulers should completely stay out of partisan politics and treat all their subjects, candidates and politicians equally, without showing favouritism.
Enakireru opined that when traditional leaders endorse specific political candidates, they risk losing the respect and trust of members of the public because such actions could undermine the political neutrality expected of them and compromise their moral authority. He maintained that neutrality keeps their moral voice strong and enables them to mediate disputes fairly.
According to him, by choosing a political side, traditional rulers could become partisan actors, despite being expected to represent everyone. He argued that such a position could weaken their ability to unite the people and instead turn them into symbols of political division.
Enakireru concluded that the royal fathers should, as a matter of urgent importance, retract their recent endorsement of Hon. Elder Sheriff Oborevwori and, by so doing, redeem the image and credibility of the traditional institution before it becomes too late.
Key points
- A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Delta State, Hon. John Enakireru, has disagreed with the recent endorsement of the incumbent Governor of Delta State, Sheriff Oborevwori.
- Enakireru called on the Urhobo traditional rulers to retract their recent endorsement of Oborevwori, describing the decision as unhealthy and capable of undermining the neutrality of the traditional institution.
- The ADC chieftain noted that traditional rulers are expected to maintain neutrality among all their subjects across the 24 kingdoms of the Urhobo nation.
