The Ukhomuyio community of Okpella in Edo State has rejected what it described as a shambolic process that led to the selection of Mike Sado as the new king.

The community expressed this position in a communique jointly signed by its president, Sam Afemikhe; High Chief Julius Ederefo of the Ukhomuyio Council of Village Heads; and Comrade Merrv Omoalu, president of the Ukhomuyio Youth Association.

The communique stated that Sado was the sole candidate in the gathering, which was erroneously described as an ‘election’ by individuals not from Ukhomuyio, the community entitled to produce the Okuokpellagbe.

The communique reads: “Ukhomuyio feels disenfranchised because the government has not given the Ukhomuyio Sub-Ruling Area the opportunity to carry out the process to choose an acceptable Okuokpellagbe in line with the directives of government and the extant laws for the appointment of Okuokpellagbe.”

Meanwhile, the Ukhomuyio community has organised a meeting to establish a new executive group to resolve the impasse and foster growth and development.

The meeting, held at Afokpella Secondary School, brought together the community’s sons and daughters for a landmark strategy session focused on unifying and repositioning the community.

According to a statement by the community’s Public Relations Officer, Dr Samson Omosotomhe, the meeting marked a significant turning point, with the establishment of new executive leadership and a bold vision for the future.

Omosotomhe said the executive group is on a rescue and recovery mission to make Ukhomuyio socially and economically developed. They were tasked with steering the community towards unity, justice, and progress.

Their terms of reference include uniting the entire Ukhomuyio community to heal the wounds of the past seven years, fostering integration between Ukhomuyio and the wider Okpella community, and engaging with government stakeholders to equitably resolve the Okhuokpellagbe impasse.

Additionally, they are expected to partner with companies to ensure Ukhomuyio benefits from local economic resources, launch aggressive development initiatives to compensate for lost time, and collaborate with the government to enhance security, enabling safe farming and peaceful living.

He emphasised that this renewed leadership calls all Ukhomuyio sons and daughters to rise in unity, filled with hope and purpose, towards a brighter future.

It was also agreed that the community would empower the president, working with other stakeholders, to create a robust and all-inclusive team of well-meaning Ukhomuyio sons and daughters to pilot the community’s affairs in collaboration with the village heads.