Isoko Stakeholders Reject Senatorial Endorsement, Demand Apology IDU Leader

Sunday Okobi

A major rift seems to have emerged within the Isoko nation in Delta State following the controversial endorsement of Senator Joel Onowhakpor-Thomas for a second term by the President-General of the Isoko Development Union (IDU), Professor  Chris Akpotu.

The Isoko Development Network (IDN), in a  statement issued yesterday, distanced the Isoko people from the endorsement, describing it as “unconstitutional, premature, and a gross misrepresentation of the collective will of the Isoko nation.”

The statement, signed by Igho Anthony Monina on behalf of IDN, alleged that the IDU president “gate-crashed” a private political gathering in Emede attended by supporters and associates of the senator, where he proceeded to publicly declare support for his re-election.

“This singular act has gone down in history as one of the lowest points in the modern Isoko leadership structure,” the statement noted.