By Ovie Okpare
A presidential candidate in the just concluded election into Urhobo apex body, Urhobo Progress Union (UPU), Chief Simeon Akpovwoghokohwo Ohwofa, has offered to make the Make Urhobo Great Again (MUGA) comprehensive manifesto available to the newly elected UPU leadership as a roadmap for long-term development of Urhobo Nation.
Ohwofa, a billionaire businessman and Acting President of the Nigerian Institute of Animal Science (NIAS), also said that the MUGA movement remains committed to the progress of the Urhobo Nation.
In a statement on Wednesday, Ohwofa said the detailed document which was painstakingly developed through consultations across the 24 Urhobo kingdoms is available for the Olorogun Ese Gam Owe led UPU leadership for the development of Urhoboland.
The MUGA manifesto covers key pillars such as institutional strengthening, youth empowerment, economic transformation, diaspora inclusion, human capacity development, cultural revival, and building a more assertive Urhobo voice in Nigeria and the global arena.
He said, “The manifesto is available to the new leadership if they so wish. It is a blueprint for progress, crafted not for political competition, but for the future of our nation.”
Congratulating the newly reelected President-General, Olorogun Ese Gam, and his executive team, Ohwofa urged them to lead with clarity, courage, and an unwavering commitment to unity.
He described the UPU leadership as “a sacred responsibility.”
Ohwofa noted that although the MUGA campaign did not clinch victory at the polls, it succeeded in igniting something far more enduring within the Urhobo Nation.
“We rekindled the spirit of Mukoro Mowoe. We awakened hope. We inspired participation. We mobilised a new generation. We demonstrated that Urhobo sons and daughters can rise when duty calls”, the statement added.
He reassured his supporters, Urhobo youths, volunteers, elders and stakeholders that they had nothing to regret, stressing that they stood on the right side of history by championing transparency, fairness and renewed purpose for the UPU.
“You fought with honour. You remained peaceful. You projected the finest spirit of our people. Hold your heads high,” he declared.
Ohwofa called for unity and healing following the elections, urging Urhobos everywhere to recommit themselves to the founding vision of the UPU as an instrument of unity and progress.
“Let us rise above divisions. Let us heal. Let us focus on building a great, strong and prosperous Urhobo Nation”, he stressed.
He described the 2025 UPU elections as an opportunity to re-awaken the historic spirit of greatness embedded in every Urhobo person.
“From today, let us walk forward as one Urhobo Nation,” he said further stated.
