By Comrade Wilbet Ijeoma
In what appealed to the public and neighbouring communities as historic and highly commendable, the Hon Emu Ambrose-Led Electoral Committee of Obi-Iloh Community in Ebedei, Ukwuani Local Government Area, Delta State, conducted elections for all four principal offices of the community which includes Umuosele Development Union (UDU) Chairman, Youth Chairman, Oil and Gas Management Committee (OGMC) Chairman, as well as Oil and Gas Management Committee (OGMC) Secretary.
The election which took place on Monday 6th April 2026 at Obi-Iloh community townhall recorded a massive turnout of Obi-Iloh indigenes both from away and at home, and was well observed from members of neighboring communities.
This time, a secret ballot system in what looks like INEC model was adopted by the electoral body which seems capital intensive but result-oriented. Candidates names and passport photographs were conspicuously printed on the ballot papers for easy identification of choice candidates, while voters take their turn to cast their votes for all four offices confidentially and simultaneously, under the watch of the electoral committee members, candidates’ agents, internal and external observers, security agents as well as gentlemen of the Press.
This development is at variance with the previous traditional “Option A” form of open ballot system of election where votes queue behind their choice candidates openly, which has been heavily criticized, being that open preference is a recipe for resentment and acrimony after election.
Shortly before the election, the Electoral Committee chairman, Hon. Emu Ambrose addressed the candidates and the electorates to conduct themselves modestly while maintaining a high level of responsibility and decorum before, during and after the election.
Speaking further, Hon. Emu, who was a former Counselor of Ebedei Ward 3 and present Supervisory Counsellor for Finance, Ukwuani LGA Council, noted that after election, the spirit of no-winner-no-looser should prevail, as he urged would-be winners to be magnanimous in victory, as they carry everybody along and chart a new path forward for the development of Obi-Iloh (Umuosele) community.
The former Counselor exuded his wealth of political experience in steering the electioneering process for a peaceful, transparent, free and fair election, as voters waited patiently throughout the day to cast their votes, see their votes counted and results announced.
During the counting of the votes, the Committee Chairman, Hon. Emu confirmed to Pressmen that the election was free, fair and transparent. “The conduct of the election is okay, there’s no crisis anywhere, everybody voted and we did not disenfranchise anybody as regards the election”: the Chairman confirmed.
“The counting is ongoing and at the end of the counting, a winner must emerge, and we’ve advised the winners to carry everybody along”: Hon. Emu submitted.
Responding to the nagging issue of voters’ aparthy common in Nigerian clime, the Ebedei former Counselor and present Ukwuani Supervisory Counsellor for Finance, confirmed that everybody came out en masse to vote for their choice candidates and that the ballot papers were enough for everybody.
One of the Winners of the election, the UDU Chairman-elect, Sir Roland Enebeli (aka Okpoloko) also confirmed to Pressmen that the election was free and fair, and he thank God for the successful outcome of the election.
Mr. Eugene Chinedu Diji, the incumbent OGMC Chairman of Obi-Iloh Umueziogoli community who also had a reelection bid for the same position but lost, confirmed to Pressmen that the election was free and fair, and the mode of the election is unprecedented.
Winners of the election announced are; Sir Roland Enebeli as Chairman Umuosele Development Union (UDU), Mr. Emu Franklin Onyishi as Youth Chairman, Mr. Edike Onyeka Agali as Chairman Oil and Gas Management Committee (OGMC), and Mr. Atuegu Onyeke as Secretary Oil and Gas Management Committee (OGMC).
