Rita Enemuru, Reporting
FORMER Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, has launched a blistering attack on Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, dismissing the governor’s claim that he poses no political threat and declaring that the governor’s actions prove otherwise.
Speaking during an interview on ARISE Television on Wednesday morning, Omo-Agege argued that Oborevwori’s decision to abandon the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and move into the All Progressives Congress (APC) was driven by fear of facing him in a direct electoral contest.
“They are scared of me because they know what I can do to Sheriff head-to-head in an open election. I have done it before and I will do it again,” Omo-Agege declared.
‘The numbers speak for themselves’
The former Delta APC governorship candidate insisted that his political strength remains unmatched in the state, citing the party’s performance under his leadership during the 2023 general elections.
According to him, the APC won two of Delta State’s three senatorial seats in that election, while Oborevwori failed to secure victory in any senatorial district.
He further alleged that the party would have swept all three seats if not for what he described as a conspiracy by former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and his political allies to imprison APC candidate Senator Peter Nwaoboshi during the election period.
“In the 2023 general election, the Delta APC that I led won two senatorial seats out of three. In Delta Central, where both the governor and I come from, I secured 150,445 votes while the governor managed about 100,045 votes. The numbers speak for themselves,” he said.
Omo-Agege maintained that the more than 240,000 supporters who backed him in the 2023 governorship election remain firmly loyal to him and have not shifted allegiance despite the political realignments in the state.
‘They wiped out APC members on the ground’
The former Deputy Senate President also accused Governor Oborevwori and his political camp of betraying agreements reached following the mass defection of PDP leaders into the APC.
According to him, APC leaders had agreed on a 60-40 power-sharing arrangement across states where new entrants joined the ruling party, but alleged that the governor’s camp ignored the understanding and moved to completely dominate the party structure in Delta State.
“They came in and wiped out all the APC members they met on the ground. These are the same people who fought for President Bola Tinubu in 2023, while Sheriff and his group worked against him. They took over the administrative structures, but they could not take away the people. The organic support remains with me,” he stated.
Omo-Agege further claimed that his popularity was demonstrated during the APC primaries, alleging that he won in 84 of the state’s 85 wards and secured 109,000 votes against Senator Ede Dafinone’s 7,000 votes.
“But as you know, they used state machinery to rob me,” he alleged.
Omo-Agege throws weight behind Peter Obi
In a dramatic declaration of his current political allegiance, Omo-Agege said his loyalty now rests fully with the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and its presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi.
“Who is my presidential candidate in 2027? Of course, it is Peter Obi. If you ask whether I have endorsed Peter Obi, the answer is yes,” he said.
Describing himself as a fiercely loyal politician, Omo-Agege said his commitment has always followed the political platform to which he belongs.
“I am a political animal and a very loyal political animal. Wherever I am, I display my loyalty. I supported President Muhammadu Buhari because he was my leader. When President Tinubu came on board, we fought for him and supported him one hundred per cent. Now that I am in the NDC, you can take it to the bank that my loyalty belongs to the party and its candidate,” he stated.
‘Clueless government’ with N750bn idle, claims Omo-Agege
In a related development, the former Deputy Senate President also accused the Delta State Government of financial mismanagement, alleging that approximately ₦750 billion belonging to the state is lying idle in an account with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) because the administration lacks the capacity to deploy the funds for development.
Speaking on the same programme, Omo-Agege described Governor Oborevwori as “clueless”, arguing that despite unprecedented revenue inflows, the state has little to show for the resources at its disposal.
According to him, Delta State has received more than ₦3.15 trillion in the last three years, yet critical sectors of the economy and social services remain underdeveloped.
“As I speak to you right now, despite the receipt of this ₦3.15 trillion in three years, we have about ₦750 billion of state funds sitting idle in the CBN because this government is just clueless,” Omo-Agege said. “They don’t even know what to do with the money.”
The former governorship candidate argued that the existence of such a huge amount of unutilised funds underscores what he called the administration’s failure to formulate and implement policies capable of addressing the challenges facing residents.
He maintained that the funds could have been channelled towards tackling hunger, improving healthcare delivery, upgrading schools, providing housing and strengthening security across the state.
The remarks are expected to further escalate the growing political rivalry between Senator Omo-Agege and Governor Oborevwori as the battle for Delta State’s political future gathers momentum ahead of the 2027 elections. The governor’s office had yet to respond to the allegations at the time of filing this report.
