A few hours to the December 5 Urhobo Progress Union (UPU) National Election, the Project Rescue Urhobo (PRU) has raised serious concerns over the credibility of the forthcoming exercise.
It alleged that the process has been fundamentally compromised by repeated violations of the UPU Constitution.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the group accused the National Executive Council (NEC) and the Electoral Committee of systematically breaching key constitutional provisions, thereby undermining transparency, fairness, and the integrity of the electoral process.
According to PRU, the crisis stems from the refusal of the NEC and the Electoral Committee to publish essential information required ahead of the election.
The statement was signed by PRU Convener, Prince Noble Otadaferua; Secretary Daniel Etaga; and Publicity Secretary Peter Darah.
The group alleged that the bodies failed to release the official list of branches and sub-branches as mandated by Article 21.2(h) of the UPU Constitution, instead manipulating and altering branch structures in secrecy. This, they said, created confusion and allowed for the engineering of voter outcomes.
They also claimed that the delegate list was produced outside constitutional guidelines, in violation of Article 10.1, adding that delegates from branches less than 12 months old were allegedly included, while the list was released late and kept hidden from aspirants, robbing them of the opportunity to verify or object.
PRU said this constituted a direct assault on the structure of the Annual National Congress.
The group further alleged that the Electoral Committee disregarded transparency rules under Article 22.2(h) by failing to release electoral guidelines on time, publishing them abruptly, and withholding them from aspirants.
The statement accused the Committee of behaving “as though above the Constitution” by attempting to disqualify aspirants unlawfully, altering timelines without approval, and taking decisions beyond its mandate.
Other allegations include wrongful attempts to classify qualified aspirants as non-members, breaches of the electoral timetable through late document releases, and scheduling decisions designed to disadvantage certain aspirants and branches.
PRU said selective information sharing and hidden procedures had eroded neutrality and fairness, while actions taken by the NEC and the Electoral Committee contravened UPU values of unity.
It stressed that the cumulative effect of these alleged violations was devastating, arguing that the election could not be free, fair, or credible under the current circumstances. It called for the immediate publication of all branches and sub-branches, release of the full delegate list, verification and publication of eligible branches, and clear communication of accreditation procedures before Congress.
The statement reads: “In the interest of justice, transparency, and the unity of the Urhobo Nation, PRU demands: immediate publication of all branches and sub-branches (Article 21.2(h)); immediate release of the full delegate list (Article 10); verification and publication of eligible branches under the 12-month rule (Article 10.1(vii) & Article 32.2(a)(vii)); clear and open communication of accreditation procedures before Congress.
“We call on the Board of Trustees, Council of Representatives, Ukoko r’Viebe, and the Forum of PGs to exercise urgent oversight, restore order, and enforce constitutional compliance.”
