By Iteveh Nur’ Ekpokpobe
Senator Austin Ovie Omo-Agege has excelled only in hawking lies.
Lies such as: He is the leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State; That he dines and wines with President Bola Tinubu and has the villa in his pocket; lies that he has the backing of the First Lady and how he would employ ‘’Federal Might’’ to win the seat as Governor of Delta State in 2027.
His gullible media minions and political acolytes, for lack of better political standing and hope, have resigned to peddle these lies.
Omo-agege is a mischievous lad; I tell you.
As a Warri boy turned Abuja bourgeois, my duty is to present the facts as they are and let the devil be shamed.
At the height of his political travesty, as Deputy President of the Nigerian senate, the mischievous boy, Omo-agege, arrogated powers to himself and pushed aside Political stalwarts like Chief Otega Emerhor, Chief Hyacinth Enuha and others who were founding members of the APC in Delta State. He claimed that as the highest political office holder, everyone must bow to him or bow out.
The same pill he recommended; he has refused to swallow now.
With his overestimated relevance, after betraying President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on several political fora particularly, during the APC Presidential Primaries as well as during the general election, he went begging, cap in hand to Rt. Hon Femi Gbajabiamila, for ministerial appointment since all roads to the villa were sealed off against him.
When his appeal to the Presidency fell on deaf ears. He went on his knees to Oghara to former Governor James Ibori to try and exploit his relationship with President Tinubu. But Ibori, remembering Agege’s contribution to his incarceration, gave no assurances.
The battle for the soul of Delta APC began. The day Hon. Stella Okotete was announced as minister, Omo-agege’s phone fell off his hands. He was visibly shaken, with bile in his throat. He understood that as Minister and member of the Federal Executive Council (FEC), Okotete would automatically become the highest political office holder in the State’s APC and by extension his political leader. Omo-Agege’s arrogance could not allow a ‘’woman’’ to superintend over him.
Omo-Agege couldn’t take the chance on who became minister hence, he employed the likes of Elema Emma Uduaghan, Emami Ayeri and others, fueling media onslaught against Delta Born Urhobo Amazon, Stella Okotete who would have become the youngest minister if only she was confirmed.
While he was busy with the attacks, Festus Keyamo SAN, played a fast one. It is a given, Keyamo’s contribution to the emergence of President Tinubu even before the Presidential Primaries, was widely acknowledged by all including opposition parties.
Today, by virtue of his position as the highest political office holder in the state, Festus Keyamo SAN, is automatically the leader of the Delta State APC and generally accepted by all political office holders of the party. The mischievous boy can cry all he wants, but this is the bitter pill he is swallowing.
He has refused to accept this reality. He has, like an ostrich, buried his head in sand with his ass exposed. He retained the services of a minion, who suffers delusions of grandeur, Fejiro Oliver, whom I saved from incarceration, after reporting lies of how armed robbers broke into Delta State Government House some years ago, has been a peddler of those lies. Singing perpetually like a canary.
The same person who told me that he was tired of peddling Omo-Agege, as he sees no hope, but because he was afraid the Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori may not keep secret any meeting he holds with him, and has instead remained where he was; in perpetual servitude.
But that is not why I am here.
Omo-Agege’s Lies that he dines and wines with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and how he has the villa in his pocket is why I am here. I am talking about the same Omo-Agege who withheld Delta State APC Delegates from Tinubu when he was consulting Delegates across the country for his Presidential bid.
Although the APC acknowledged Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as Leader of the Party, President Muhamadu Buhari did not. He could only acknowledge the contribution of Tinubu to his victory as President after several years of trials and errors. This mindset formed the bulk of his resolution to handover to anybody but Tinubu.
The Northern enclave, backed by the Buhari cabals of Malami, Tunde, Mamman Daura triggered a chain of events that would culminate in Ahmed Lawan declaring his intentions to run for President. When Omo-Agege learnt of this development, as an opportunist that he is, saw the once in a lifetime opportunity of becoming a Vice President; his governorship ambition became immaterial. This was the reason behind his delay in official declaration for governorship.
While these intrigues were on, the cabal convinced the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, to throw in his hat. Omo-Agege facilitated the processes for Emefiele to get his APC party card in Delta State, in his capacity as the usurper de-facto leader of the party, despite opposition of party members. These plans were meant to derail and whittle down the influence and clout of the Jagaban of Borgu.
But Jagaban is an old monkey who cannot be taught new tricks. He knew he must get the power at all cost, so much so that, he invoked the metaphysical powers of ‘Emilokan’. Nevertheless, he did not forget his enemies. Hence on November 26, 2022, Tinubu while presenting the APC flag to candidates told the public and Omo-Agege that he would be Governor of ‘Niger Delta State’ the same way he professed ‘PDPAPC’ which left Nigerians laughing. Many thought Tinubu’s mind was failing him, hence the plethora of speech errors that dotted his campaigns. But they were no errors.
I recall vividly, on January 28, 2023, around 8pm, I met with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in his Asokoro mansion. Present in the house that day was the just impeached Speaker of Lagos State, Rt. Hon Mudashiru Obasa, one Hon Chukwuemeka and my very self. In that meeting President Tinubu was fully armed with his wits.
At the end of the meeting (don’t ask me what we discussed), we escorted Jabagan to his car as he was stepping out for a TV Programme Production. He wasn’t shaky. He opened his armored Lexus LX570 2023 model door all by himself- as heavy as that door was. He climbed in, turned around for a little Yoruba banter with Obasa, before his aide shut the door and they zoomed off. That day, I knew that he was going to win and there was no stopping for him.
It dawned on me that a bulk of all those public falters were deliberate and part of a grand campaign strategy. So, when he said Omo-Agege was going to be the governor of Niger Delta State, I knew he was fated for failure.
Today, this same Omo-Agege is the one exaggerating his influence and reach in the Villa. Look my people, let me tell you this. We are the Abuja boys. The business of power is what we ply here. Those who hold the keys to Abuja we know. We know the high rollers. And I kid you not when I say that, the same way Godwin Emefiele has been ostracized and is facing the heat of incarceration, the mischievous boy and all those who planned and executed the failed coup against Tinubu are bleeding.
Nigeria’s First Lady, our beloved mother, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, Omo-Agege’s colleague, who would, ordinarily have been, an ally of the mischievous one, is not today because Omo-Agege never saw Tinubu as President. He is literally a bat now; neither an animal nor a bird. A drowning man struggling for floating wood with no stake at the National level.
At the height of his political bliss, he spat on the faces he could spit on; stepped on toes he could step on; oppressed those he could oppress and swindled those he could swindle. Is it not sad that all political office holders in the state under the APC no longer count him amongst people that matter?
His minions have started insulting National and State Assembly members of the APC in the state because power has shifted. He insults the ranks of Senator Joel Onowakpo, Senator Ede Dafinone and Hon Francis Waive and others so freely now, simply because they upheld a formula he propagated (that the highest political office holder becomes the automatic leader of the party).
Omo-Agege’s story should be a lesson for political students and pundits alike. It is a practical and contemporary lesson on the intoxicating essence of power and how if not managed can lead one to ruin. It is a lesson on humility and how we must be careful as the laws of gravity happen to anything on earth including power.
The mischievous boy is a slim fellow who cannot be trusted with power again. The Presidency knows this. The All Progressives Congress (APC) both at State and National levels know this. The Good people of Delta State are well versed on this; hence he was vehemently rejected in 2023.
2027 is a walk over.
Deltans are ready to do it again. Deltans are not minions. They are not gullible. They will vote right. They will always pick Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori over a mace thief. Deltans will vote for Sheriff over a tribal bigot.
Deltans will choose cool headedness over desperation. Deltans will not support one who circumvented pipeline surveillance contracts; a topic I will visit properly soon. And I will not rest until all parts of Isoko Nation under the surveillance scheme still in his net, Zane Energy Limited, are released.
And for those who are getting ready to throw their stones at me for saying the truth or for standing by it; you will regret your lives, don’t worry! According to internet sensation Gehgeh, you will cry, “had I Known”, the last comment of a fool.
In the end, what do they have to say? Other than I am a political appointee of the Delta State Government, hence I may not be in a position of good faith to defend good or abhor evil.
And so what?
Let the war begin…
Iteveh Nurudeen Ekpokpobe, FIMC, a retired investigative journalist who is not tired, writes from Abuja.
