By George Ozalla
The Special Adviser on Strategy and Communications to former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, Mr. Godwin Anaughe, has accused the Delta State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) of contradicting itself by dismissing reports of attacks on party officials, only for the state government to later confirm that the incidents actually occurred.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Anaughe said the APC’s July 29 reaction to an earlier statement from Omo-Agege’s camp sought to discredit reports that Hon. Temple Mudi, a Senior Special Assistant to the Delta State Governor, was attacked during a party meeting at the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI), Effurun.
According to him, the APC had described the report as fabricated and a “theatre of the absurd,” accusing Omo-Agege’s camp of attempting to score political points.
However, Anaughe maintained that the state government’s own response later validated the claims.
He said the Commissioner for Works (Rural Roads) and Public Information, Mr. Charles Aniagwu, publicly condemned the attack, describing it as unacceptable, and directed security agencies to identify and prosecute those behind the violence.
According to Anaughe, Aniagwu also disclosed that another government official, Comrade Reuben Izeze, Commissioner for Works (Highways and Urban Roads), was similarly attacked during the same incident.
“While Delta APC was busy calling us liars, their own government was busy validating our claims,” Anaughe stated.
He argued that the issue was not about political point-scoring but about what he described as the party’s response to violence involving its own members.
According to him, rather than focusing on the safety of those attacked, the APC was more concerned with protecting its public image.
The Omo-Agege aide also challenged claims by the APC that the Delta State Community Security Corps had maintained peace across the state.
He said such assertions were inconsistent with recent incidents of political violence, including the attacks at PTI, Effurun, and an earlier incident in Agholokpe, where, according to him, the governorship candidate of the New Delta Congress (NDC), Mr. Chris Iyovwaye, was allegedly prevented by thugs from entering a town hall meeting in his community.
Anaughe further cited what he described as rising cases of kidnappings, armed robberies and cult-related violence across Delta State, insisting that the prevailing security situation did not support claims that peace had been restored.
Responding to the APC’s call for “credible evidence,” he said Omo-Agege’s camp had already petitioned relevant security agencies, including the Commissioner of Police, the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Inspector-General of Police, requesting investigations into the incidents in Effurun and Agholokpe.
He questioned why the APC allegedly devoted more attention to attacking the opposition’s claims instead of welcoming investigations that could establish the facts.
Anaughe stressed that while the government had now acknowledged that the attacks took place, the more critical task was identifying those who planned and financed the violence.
He urged security agencies to go beyond arresting those who carried out the attacks and uncover those who sponsored them.
The former Deputy Senate President’s aide called for an independent investigation into both incidents with oversight from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and civil society organisations.
He also urged all political actors in Delta State to publicly reject violence ahead of the 2027 general elections, warning that continued political clashes could undermine public confidence in the democratic process.
