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From Joe Obukata Ogbodu, Warri
A war of words has erupted between the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State and former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, over his controversial “rig and die” declaration ahead of the 2027 general elections, with the ruling party warning against threats and political violence while the former senator insists his statement was directed at election riggers, not voters.
The disagreement intensified on Tuesday when Omo-Agege, who is contesting the Delta Central senatorial seat on the platform of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), rejected criticisms from Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s administration, the state APC and supporters of Senator Ede Dafinone, accusing them of deliberately misrepresenting his warning against electoral manipulation.
His response followed Monday’s declaration by the Chairman of the Media and Publicity Committee of the Delta APC Campaign Council, Charles Aniagwu, that the party would not tolerate violence, intimidation or inflammatory statements capable of disrupting the electoral process, irrespective of the political affiliation of those involved.
Aniagwu, who is also the state’s Commissioner for Works (Rural Roads) and Public Information, said the APC would run an issue-based campaign anchored on the performance of President Bola Tinubu and Governor Oborevwori, insisting that the party would neither engage in election rigging nor encourage supporters to take the law into their own hands.
“We will not get involved in rigging elections. We will show our report card,” he declared while unveiling members of the campaign council’s Media and Publicity Committee in Asaba.
He warned political leaders against statements that could incite their supporters to violence, particularly at polling units and collation centres, stressing that electoral grievances must be addressed through lawful channels.
“The governor has warned earlier that nobody is above the law. We will not tolerate violence, irrespective of the divide anybody belongs to,” Aniagwu said.
“We are not in a jungle republic. If there is anybody carrying out an action you consider not to be in line with the electoral guidelines, that is why we have the security agencies. Report them and let the law take its course.”
The warning followed Omo-Agege’s declaration during a political gathering in Uvwie Local Government Area last Friday that anyone attempting to rig the 2027 elections would face deadly consequences.
“It’s rig and die. Anybody who tries to rig the 2027 election will face the consequences. We will not allow anyone to steal our votes,” the former Deputy Senate President had declared.
However, Omo-Agege, in a statement issued on Tuesday by his Special Adviser on Strategy and Communications, Godwin Anaughe, dismissed allegations that he had threatened innocent voters, maintaining that his warning was intended to deter electoral fraud.
“RIG AND DIE is not a threat to voters. Voters don’t rig elections. It is a threat to riggers who falsify election figures and results,” the statement said.
Anaughe described the declaration as a rejection of electoral manipulation and ballot theft, arguing that citizens had a constitutional right to resist attempts to subvert their electoral mandate.
“To rig an election is treason. It is a coup against the people. RIG AND DIE simply entails every rigging machinery will be defeated and crushed by popular resistance,” he said.
He maintained that the statement was consistent with the spirit of Section 1(2) of the 1999 Constitution, which prohibits the governance of Nigeria except in accordance with the Constitution.
The former Deputy Senate President’s camp accused the Delta State Government and some APC stakeholders of selective criticism, recalling similar controversial remarks made by prominent political figures in previous elections.
Anaughe cited a 2014 declaration attributed to Tinubu that election riggers would face “rig and roast” in Ekiti and Osun states, as well as former President Muhammadu Buhari’s 2019 warning against ballot-box snatching.
“If Tinubu’s ‘rig and roast’ was patriotic and Buhari’s shoot-at-sight order was official policy, how does Omo-Agege’s ‘rig and die’ suddenly become anarchy?” he queried.
The statement also accused Oborevwori and Dafinone of lacking the electoral support necessary to win credible elections, alleging that their political camp was preparing to manipulate results in 2027.
Omo-Agege’s camp claimed that the governor had expended substantial public resources without commensurate achievements, while questioning Dafinone’s legislative record and grassroots support.
It further alleged that the former Deputy Senate President won the 2023 Delta governorship election but was denied victory through manipulation of results in Delta North, particularly in the Ika and Oshimili areas.
The claims remain allegations by Omo-Agege’s camp, and no new evidence establishing the alleged manipulation was presented in the statement.
Anaughe said the former Deputy Senate President would not allow what he described as a repetition of the 2023 experience, insisting that votes would be defended at polling units and collation centres.
“In 2027, there will be no court this time. We will defend our votes at the polling units and collation centers. That is lawful. That is constitutional,” the statement added.
He also recalled the October 12, 2013 Delta Central senatorial by-election, during which Dafinone, then a candidate of the Democratic People’s Party (DPP), reportedly protested alleged irregularities and complained that voting had not taken place in some areas.
The statement questioned why Dafinone, who had previously challenged the conduct of an election, was now associated with criticism of Omo-Agege’s warning against rigging.
On the controversy surrounding the 2018 Senate mace incident, Anaughe rejected attempts to portray Omo-Agege as responsible for the removal of the mace, maintaining that he had returned to the chamber following a Federal High Court judgment nullifying his suspension.
“He did not go to steal a mace and did not steal a mace. He went to resume his seat as a duly elected Senator,” he said.
The statement insisted that Omo-Agege’s position was directed against electoral malpractice rather than lawful participation in the democratic process, calling on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies to ensure impartiality in the conduct of the elections.
“Every attempt to rig will be met with lawful, peaceful and resolute resistance at the polling units,” it declared.
But Aniagwu, while addressing journalists in Asaba on Monday, had maintained that no political objective justified violence or threats against perceived opponents, arguing that inflammatory rhetoric could encourage supporters to resort to unlawful reprisals.
He said the APC would concentrate on presenting the records of the Tinubu and Oborevwori administrations, rather than exchanging personal attacks with opposition candidates.
“We will stay with the issues,” he said, stressing that the party would explain government policies, programmes and development projects to enable voters to assess its performance.
According to him, the campaign would cover not only Tinubu and Oborevwori but also APC candidates contesting seats in the Senate, House of Representatives and Delta State House of Assembly.
Aniagwu expressed confidence that the performance of both administrations would provide sufficient grounds for the party to seek renewed electoral mandates, while acknowledging the need to address issues affecting the welfare of Nigerians.
He urged journalists to work with the committee in providing accurate information to the electorate and ensuring that public discussions remained focused on governance and development.
The commissioner named Valentine Onojeguo as Vice Chairman of the Media and Publicity Committee and Timi Tonye as Secretary, with Festus Ahon, Kelly Okolugbo and Jackson Ekwugum serving as members.
The confrontation between the APC and Omo-Agege comes months after the former Deputy Senate President left the ruling party in May to pursue his senatorial ambition on the NDC platform, setting the stage for a renewed political contest in Delta Central.
Omo-Agege, who was the APC governorship candidate in 2023, is now seeking to return to the Senate, while Dafinone, the incumbent senator representing Delta Central, remains a prominent figure in the opposing political camp.
With both sides accusing each other of conduct capable of undermining the electoral process, the disagreement has placed the issues of campaign rhetoric, electoral violence and the protection of votes at the centre of the emerging political contest in Delta State.
