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By Gloria Ikibah

A fresh war of words has erupted over the security record of former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi, with the Leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) Caucus in the House of Representatives, Afam Victor Ogene, launching a scathing rebuttal to recent comments made by former Edo State Governor and Senator, Adams Oshiomhole.

The controversy followed remarks by Oshiomhole during a podcast interview in which he reportedly questioned Obi’s performance on security while serving as governor of Anambra State, arguing that the former presidential candidate lacked the credentials to tackle Nigeria’s current security challenges.

Responding in a statement, Ogene described Oshiomhole’s assertions as inaccurate and politically motivated, insisting that Obi’s security record remained a matter of public record.

“Senator Oshiomhole’s revisionist attempt to rewrite history is both laughable and insulting to Nigerians who know the facts. The data on security under Obi’s tenure in Anambra remains public record, and no amount of political grandstanding can erase it,” Ogene declared.

The lawmaker accused the former Edo governor of distorting historical facts in a bid to undermine Obi’s reputation, while also taking aim at Oshiomhole’s frequent interventions in national political debates.

Ogene further argued that Oshiomhole’s comments overlooked key events in Anambra’s political history, particularly the administrations that preceded Obi’s tenure.

“Oshiomhole has now officially joined the growing league of self-appointed press secretaries to President Tinubu. His trademark loquaciousness routinely puts him at odds with his own colleagues in the Senate, and he invariably ends up issuing humiliating apologies.

“In his latest desperate bid for ranking status among presidential attack dogs, Oshiomhole has again flown off tangent, mangling basic facts that even secondary school students know. What revisionist history would Oshiomhole teach Nigerian children when he can not accurately situate simple national events?”, he said.

Addressing references to the Bakassi Boys vigilante group, Ogene maintained that Oshiomhole had wrongly linked the group to Obi’s administration.

He also challenged Oshiomhole’s claims regarding efforts to dismantle criminal hideouts in Anambra State, insisting that the policy predated the administration of former Governor Willie Obiano.

“For the record: the Bakassi Boys operated under the four-year administration of the late Dr. Chinwoke Mbadinuju. Yet in his haste to smear Obi, Oshiomhole conveniently erased the three-year tenure of Dr. Chris Ngige before Obi’s assumption of office in 2006.

“Not done with his comedy of fallacies, Oshiomhole went further to claim that the demolition of kidnappers’ dens began under former Governor Obiano. False. That deterrence policy was introduced and executed by Obi”, he added.

The NDC caucus leader went on to contrast the leadership styles of both former governors, arguing that Obi’s administration focused on institutional reforms and security initiatives.

Ogene also pointed to security measures introduced during Obi’s administration, including community-based policing initiatives, which he said laid the foundation for a state-wide security framework.

“It is pitiable that a man who governed Edo State during Obi’s tenure would be so consumed by envy that he deliberately forgets basic facts. This is the same Oshiomhole who, while Obi was bringing civility and due process to governance in Anambra, was busy demolishing the houses of political opponents in Edo.

“In deed, for a man who pioneered the current attempt at evolving a state police structure, through the recruitment, training, kitting, and provision of security vehicles to each of Anambra’s 177 communities, it is uncharitable for Senator Oshiomhole to begin now to promote a contrary narrative”, he voted.

According to Ogene, Obi’s tenure was recognised through several security-related awards, and he argued that independent testimonies from senior law enforcement officials further supported the former governor’s record.

“Despite several security-related awards garned by Obi as governor, Oshiomhole’s desperate revisionism collapses under the weight of verifiable testimony. Philemon Leha, who served as Commissioner of Police in Anambra State during Mr. Peter Obi’s tenure has put the record straight.

“As I undertook my assignment in the state, I was greatly encouraged by the commitment and determined focus of Governor Obi. Security was on his priority list, and he always offered us logistics and other support on a scale I had not witnessed elsewhere.

“This is firsthand evidence from the man who ran security operations on the ground. While Oshiomhole peddles fallacies from a podcast chair, those who actually secured Anambra credit Obi’s leadership, logistics, and political will. Facts always triumph propaganda. 

“The unprovoked and coordinated attacks on Mr. Peter Obi’s person and political aspiration, by hirelings across both the ruling party and the opposition, are unprecedented. They point to only one thing: Obi is the real issue in the conversation for the 2027 general elections. 

“Yet, Obi has committed no crime by aspiring to lead. He has not barred anyone from contesting for the presidency. So it is both strange and uncharitable that many now want him muscled out of the race out of sheer jealousy and palpable fear of his rising popularity. 

“Like every other Nigerian, Obi is entitled to exercise his fundamental rights. Oshiomhole, and any one else, is free to run for the highest office if they so desire. No amount of sponsored smear campaigns,therefore, can deny Obi of that same democratic rights,” Ogene stated. 

The exchange adds to the growing political debate surrounding the records of leading political figures as discussions ahead of future electoral contests continue to gather momentum.