By Choice Grandball 

As 2027 draws closer, political activities are gradually gathering momentum across Urhobo land. Consultations are beginning. Political structures are being activated. Aspirants are meeting traditional rulers, youths, community leaders and other stakeholders. Telephone calls that once went unanswered are suddenly being returned.

Soon, campaign convoys will traverse Urhobo communities, with politicians asking for votes and promising to defend the interests of their people.

But when those convoys eventually reach Okuama, there is a question that may prove more difficult to answer than any campaign slogan:

What will Urhobo politicians campaign with in Okuama?

Will they arrive with posters, promises and mobilisation structures, or will they also come with answers about the Okuama detainees, the rule of law and the fate of the late Pa James Oghoroko?

That question cannot be wished away.

The Federal High Court sitting in Warri ordered the unconditional release of Prof. Arthur Ekpekpo and other detained Okuama leaders in June 2026. The court had earlier directed that the detainees be produced before it, a directive that was reportedly not complied with.

That development has transformed the Okuama detention saga from merely a security-related matter into a larger question about constitutionalism and the supremacy of law.

The killing of 17 soldiers in Okuama remains a grave tragedy. Those responsible must face justice through due process. The families of the fallen soldiers deserve justice, and the Nigerian Army deserves recognition for the sacrifices of its personnel.

But justice cannot be selective.

If there is evidence against any detained community leader, let that person be charged before a competent court. Let the evidence be tested. Let the accused defend himself.

What cannot be acceptable in a constitutional democracy is indefinite detention outside the normal judicial process.

That is where the responsibility of Urhobo politicians becomes unavoidable.

Where were they when the detainees spent months and years in military custody? Where were the political leaders when courts began intervening? Where were the voices that should have spoken loudly for due process?

Some may argue that politicians have spoken privately or made representations. That may be so. But the question now is whether the intervention has been sufficient.

The issue has become too important to remain a private conversation.

And then there is Pa James Oghoroko.

Oghoroko, the President-General of Okuama community, reportedly died in military custody in December 2024. The Chief of Defence Staff subsequently ordered an investigation into the reported deaths of Oghoroko and another Okuama leader, Dennis Okugbaye.

The death itself remains a painful chapter in the Okuama story. But the concerns surrounding his remains make the matter even more disturbing.

If, as the family and community have maintained, his remains have not been released for burial, then this is not an issue that responsible leaders should leave unattended.

A dead man cannot continue to answer allegations.

His family has the right to mourn him. His community has the right to bury him. And Nigerians have the right to know the circumstances surrounding a death that occurred in state custody.

This is why 2027 should change the conversation.

Urhobo voters should not wait until campaign rallies to discover what their political leaders believe about Okuama. They should ask now.

What have you done about the detainees?

What is your position on the court order?

What have you done to ensure that lawful judicial decisions are respected?

What have you done concerning Pa Oghoroko’s remains?

Will you engage the Federal Government on the matter?

Will you support justice for the 17 soldiers while also demanding justice for those detained?

Will you support reconstruction, reconciliation and the restoration of normal life in Okuama?

These are not partisan questions. They are leadership questions.

And they should be asked of politicians across political parties.

The temptation will be strong for politicians to treat Okuama as an uncomfortable subject that is better avoided during election season. That would be a mistake.

The people of Okuama will remember.

The wider Urhobo electorate will also be watching.

They will watch who visits traditional rulers seeking endorsements. They will watch who mobilises youths. They will watch who asks for votes. But they will also remember who spoke when speaking carried no immediate political reward.

This is not a call for confrontation with the Nigerian Army or the Federal Government. Far from it.

Urhobo leaders should pursue constitutional engagement, legal advocacy and diplomatic intervention. A high-powered delegation of traditional rulers, political leaders, senior lawyers, National Assembly members, academics, religious leaders and respected statesmen should engage Abuja.

The message should be firm but responsible: Urhobo is not asking for preferential treatment. It is asking for justice, due process and respect for the rule of law.

If the detainees have committed offences, let them be prosecuted. If they have not, let them go.

And if a court has ordered their release, the authorities should either comply or pursue whatever lawful remedies are available.

That is what democracy demands.

The same principle applies to Pa James Oghoroko. His family deserves the return of his remains, an explanation of the circumstances of his death and the conclusion of any investigation necessary to establish the truth.

The campaign season should therefore not begin with politicians asking, “What do you want me to do for you?”

In Okuama, the people may have a different question,

“What did you do when we needed your voice?”

That is the question that could follow Urhobo politicians into 2027.

Because before the posters go up, before the campaign songs begin and before the convoys enter Okuama, politicians who intend to speak for Urhobo must prepare something more important than campaign promises.

They must prepare answers.

And among those answers must be their position on the Okuama detainees, respect for judicial authority, justice for the fallen soldiers, transparency over deaths in custody and the return of Pa James Oghoroko’s remains to his family.

If they cannot answer those questions before asking for votes, what exactly will they campaign with when they get to Okuama?