By Young Erhiurhoro
Unenurhie community in Evwreni kingdom in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State was recently agog as Comr. Williams Ilayah led the Polls to become the community’s president-general with an overwhelming victory.
The community elections which was earlier scheduled to hold on 22 and 27 February, 2025 respectively, but was postponed indefinitely by the chairman of Ughelli North LGA, Olorogun Jaro Egbo as a result of electoral inadequacies was finally conducted on 7 March, 2025 at the community town hall with all the accredited aspirants fully participating.
The elections which was conducted into eleven different executive positions of the union’s leadership, was peacefully conducted by the staff of the Ministry of Women Affairs, Youth and Community Development, Asaba ably led by the ministry’s permanent secretary, Mrs. Agas, staff of the Ministry of Justice and a six-man Electoral Committee set up by the National Executive Council (NEC) of the community union’s leadership chaired by Mr. James Asigbe.
However, after series of deliberations between those from the two state ministries and the local government chairman over the delegates’ list to be used in conducting the elections, all the parties involved in the elections, including the incumbent UCDU leadership opted for general open ballot system (option A4) which included all the members of the community.
As the three presidential aspirants which included Mr. Kingdom Okpavwarire, Mr. Clever Adjene and Comr. Williams Ilayah stood up for the Unenurhie people to exercise their franchise, over three hundred people queued up behind Comr. Williams Illayah, three persons behind Mr. Kingdom Okpavwarire and four persons behind Mr. Clever Adjene.
At the end of the voting exercise which was closely monitored by the security agents provided by the Ughelli North local government chairman, Olorogun Jaro Egbo as provided by the law, Comr. Williams Ilayah was declared winner for the position of president-general by the staff of the Ministry of Women Affairs, Youth and Community Development. Others that won various executive positions were Mr. Omokigho Opue as vice president-general, Mr. Stanley Obegor as secretary-general, Mr. Oghenekowho Iboyi as treasurer, Mr. Kingsley Oradjevwe as financial secretary, Pastor James Ephron as assistant financial secretary, Mr. Victor Imudje as social secretary and Mr. Philip Umukoro as public relations officer.
In his remarks immediately after the winners of the elections were announced by the staff of the ministry and presented to the people, the new president-general of Unenurhie community, Comr. Ilayah said, “Today, justice has prevailed in our community. The constitutional rights of our people were respected and they allowed them to vote the aspirants of their choice. This is truly free and fair elections. I want to at this time thank all the staff of the ministry of women affairs from Asaba and their tireless efforts to see that the elections was conducted today.
“I want to also thank the electoral committee for doing a very good job. I also thank the outgoing president-general, Mr. Peter Maison and his exco for his magnanimity and boldness to face all the enemies of progress in the community. Finally, I happily thank all Unenurhie people for voting me and my exco as the right leaders to lead the community for next three years. They have really put shame on the faces of the evil doers. Together, from this very moment, we shall move the community forward to the next levels,” he said.
