Immediate Past Deputy President of the 9th Senate and Delta Central senatorial candidate of the New Delta Congress (NDC), Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, CFR, has raised the alarm over an alleged early-morning attack on the party’s campaign venue in Uvwie Local Government Area of Delta State, accusing political operatives linked to the state government of attempting to intimidate the opposition ahead of the forthcoming political activities in the state.
Omo-Agege, in a strongly worded statement issued from his office, alleged that more than 50 armed men stormed the venue of an NDC campaign meeting in Uvwie at about 5:30 a.m., where they allegedly pulled down canopies and destroyed campaign materials.
He specifically identified Mr. Emmanuel Erube, whom he described as the Disciplinary Committee Chairman of Jakpa, as the leader of the group.
According to the former senator, the incident was not a random act of violence but a deliberate attempt to disrupt the NDC’s political activities and send a warning to opposition supporters in Delta Central.
Omo-Agege further alleged that Erube and members of the group threatened to kill him and the NDC Uvwie Campaign Coordinator, Olorogun Dr. Esere Ejifoma Atumu, should he appear in Uvwie for the scheduled event.
“These threats were made in the middle of the attack,” Omo-Agege alleged, insisting that the incident represented an escalation in what he described as political intimidation in the state.
The NDC candidate said he was particularly concerned because, according to him, the alleged threats were connected to what he claimed were previous private threats against his life.
Omo-Agege alleged that Governor Sheriff Oborevwori had, on several occasions, privately threatened that he would have him killed and that nothing would happen because the governor was the Chief Security Officer of the state.
The former senator described the allegation as a matter he was taking with “utmost gravity,” arguing that the reported attack at the campaign venue should be investigated in the context of the alleged threats.
He subsequently accused Governor Oborevwori of being “directly responsible and culpable” for the incident.
However, the allegations against the governor and the other persons named in the statement are claims made by Omo-Agege and were not independently established in the statement.
The former Senate Deputy President went further to describe the incident as an alleged “state-backed intimidation” of opposition political activities, accusing political actors purportedly connected to the government of using violence to suppress dissent.
“This is an act of state terrorism. It is an attack on democracy and on the people of Delta State,” he declared.
Omo-Agege maintained that the alleged use of political operatives to disrupt opposition activities should be of concern to security agencies, electoral authorities, civil society organisations and the international community.
He therefore called on the Inspector-General of Police and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS) to immediately arrest and investigate Erube and the alleged members of his group.
He also demanded an investigation into the alleged source of funding for the group, urging the security agencies to establish whether any individuals or institutions connected to government were involved.
In addition, Omo-Agege appealed to the Delta State Commissioner of Police to provide round-the-clock armed protection for him, Dr. Atumu, members of the NDC campaign teams and supporters across the state.
He also called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the United States Embassy, the European Union, the African Union and civil society organisations to pay closer attention to political developments in Delta State.
According to him, the organisations should consider deploying observers and human rights monitors to the state in view of what he described as the rising level of political tension.
The NDC senatorial candidate urged residents of Uvwie and other parts of Delta State not to succumb to fear or intimidation, assuring opposition supporters that his political movement would remain committed to its campaign.
“To the people of Uvwie and Delta State: Do not be afraid. Do not back down. We will not be silenced. We will not be intimidated.
The fight for a New Delta continues,” he said.
The allegations come amid heightened political activity in Delta State, where rival political interests are positioning themselves for forthcoming electoral contests.
Omo-Agege’s statement has therefore raised fresh concerns about the need for political actors and security agencies to ensure that campaign activities are conducted peacefully and that all parties and candidates are provided with adequate security.
The former senator concluded by warning that political violence could have grave consequences for the state, saying the responsibility for preventing bloodshed rested with political leaders, security agencies and all stakeholders.
“The world is watching. And history will remember who spilled human blood in the name of politics in Delta State,” he stated.
As of the time of filing this report, the statement did not contain responses from Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, Mr. Emmanuel Erube, the Delta State Police Command or other persons mentioned in the allegations. Their responses would be necessary to establish their positions on the claims made by the NDC candidate.
