Some indigenes of Delta have claimed that Ovie Omo-Agege is a criminal and an ex-convict in America. A Twitter user posted different claims about him and here is what CDD Election War Room found.
Omo-Agege is a senator and the current deputy president of the Senate and a leading governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the March 18, 2023, Governorship and House of Assembly elections in Delta State.
Claim I: That Ovie Omo-Agege was convicted of fraud in the US in 1993 at the age of 32
Verification
According to a 2020 Daily Trust Report, there was a suit seeking an order to remove Ovie Omo-Agege from office over an allegation of perjury in California USA.
According to the report, Justice Othman Musa of the FCT High Court in Bwari Abuja, dismissed the lawsuit on the grounds that Omo-Agege was not a convict and had not been found guilty in any court in California, USA.
The judge held that from a judgment of the California court delivered on March 12, 1996, exhibited by Omo-Agege, it could be seen that the charge was dismissed.
“Dismissing the charge against the 1st defendant does not mean conviction. The 1st defendant has not been found guilty and has not been convicted,” he added.
The judge further held that the disciplinary proceedings involving Omo-Agege in the State of California in the US, even if they ended in punitive action against him, could not be elevated to criminal proceedings.
Verdict: False. Ovie Omo-Agege was never convicted by any court in California, USA, though he was charged the charge was later dismissed.
Claim II: Ovie Omo-Agege led thugs into the senate chamber to steal the mace in 2018.
On April 18, 2018, unidentified hoodlums invaded the Senate Chambers and disrupted the ongoing proceedings, carting away the mace.
Verification
Authorities of the Nigerian Senate on its official Twitter handle said that Ovie Omo-Agege was responsible for the invasion of the Senate plenary by persons suspected to be thugs, during which the mace was seized and taken away by the invaders.
Verdict: True. Authorities of the Nigerian Senate confirmed that Ovie-Omo Agege was the one who led thugs who made away with the mace.
Claim III: Ovie-Omo Agege voted against the electronic transmission of results on the floor of the Senate in 2021
Verification
After the bill for the electronic transmission of results was passed on July 15, 2021, the Senate was thrown into confusion over clause 52 (3) on electronic transmission of results which reads in part: “The Commission may transmit results of elections by electronic means where and when practicable.”
The amendment was sustained, but the plenary became rowdy afterwards and for close to 40 minutes there was pandemonium which the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan forced the sitting into a closed door. Upon resumption from the closed door, Senate Minority leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe, through order 73 of Senate rules, divided the chambers.
According to Daily Post who monitored the votes reported that as each Senator was called to vote, Ovie Omo-Agege voted against electronic transmission immediately after he was called by the Clerk to the Senate.
Verdict: True. A statement released by Senator Ovie Omo-Agege ascertained that he voted against the electronic transmission of results.
Claim IV: Accused of shortchanging Urhobo/Isoko Ex-Agitators of N140,000 in Remuneration for pipeline Surveillance in 2023
According to reports by notable news media, on March 10, 2023, some protesting youths under the aegis of Niger Delta Ex-agitators of Urhobo and Isoko extraction have accused Ovie Omo-Agege of withholding crude oil pipeline surveillance contract funds meant for youths of Isoko and Urhobo ethnic nationalities in Delta State.
In a statement read by the Secretary General of the Ovwian community, Okoro Godspower, the youths alleged that they had, on different occasions, met with the Obarisi of Urhoboland concerning the slot, but nothing has been done. According to them, their neighbours, the Itsekiri and Ijaw youths have been receiving N200,000 surveillance funds, and the Urhobo and Isoko youths are being given N60,000 with Omo-Agege allegedly withholding N140,000.
Verdict: True. According to a credible news medium, Ovie Omo-Agege was accused of shortchanging Urhobo/Isoko Ex-agitators of N140,000 in remunerations for pipeline surveillance in 2023