LAGOS JULY 3RD (URHOBOTODAY)-Senator, your aide, Comrade Wilson Okorugbo, has put together a passionate defense of your record. I appreciate it — it shows that the original piece hit its target perfectly.

However, a passionate defense doesn’t equate to a solid rebuttal, and what your camp has provided follows a familiar script: they talk extensively about the flaws of others while conveniently sidestepping any real discussion of your own three years in the Senate.

2. Honestly, Senator, I expected more from you — not in terms of substance, since that’s never been your strong suit in this debate, but in terms of courage. You penned the original article under your own name, with your own byline, making bold claims about your record. Yet when it came time to respond, you were nowhere to be seen. You sent Comrade Okorugbo to fight a battle you initiated. A senator who should be able to stand before the National Assembly has chosen instead to let an aide take the heat for him. If you truly believed in the positions you took, Senator, you would have defended them yourself. Instead, you’ve revealed something much more telling than any rebuttal could: that you’re quicker to write than to stand up for your beliefs, and even quicker to pass the buck on accountability. Perhaps this, too, serves as a fitting metaphor for your three years in the Senate — present in name, but absent in action.
3. Senator, I want to speak directly to you, point by point, in case you take a moment to read this yourself.

On the Personal Attack

4. Your office kicked things off by claiming my language was “unbecoming.” I stand firmly by every word in my original piece. There was no insult intended—just an uncomfortable truth about inaction, laid out plainly. If the facts feel like attacks, Senator, the issue lies with the record, not with me as the messenger.
5. I also want to highlight that over a thousand words were published in your defense, yet you didn’t once challenge the key, documented fact at the core of my piece: in three years as a Senator, you haven’t sponsored a single bill for Ethiope State. Not one motion. Not a shred of sustained legislative effort. That fact remains unchallenged because it simply can’t be disputed. It’s part of the public record.
6. What makes your silence even more concerning, Senator, is where you chose to focus your energy instead. Rather than address your own inaction, you aimed your criticism at Chief Christopher Ominimini and Dr. Wilson Omene—two Urhobo patriots who, without any salary or mandate, actually took action and came to you, their elected senator, seeking support. They brought you a cause, and you responded with criticism. That’s not the behavior of a leader trying to improve a process; it’s the behavior of someone more comfortable attacking those who are trying than facing their own shortcomings.

On the Three-Page Document and the Stakeholder Critique

7. Your response seemed to focus heavily on reiterating your original criticism of Chief Ominimini and Dr. Omene’s documentation and consultation process. That’s understandable, Senator — thorough documentation is crucial, and no one is arguing that a proposal for state creation shouldn’t be detailed. But here’s the question you still haven’t addressed: if a three-page document and incomplete stakeholder lists are such significant flaws, why didn’t you — the senator elected to champion Urhobo interests, equipped with a legislative office, committee staff, research resources, and direct access to the Constitution Review process — take the initiative to create a comprehensive document yourself? Especially since you believe that establishing Ethiope State is “both achievable and imperative”?
8. Your own article calls for a master plan of 100 to 300 pages, carefully outlining economic viability, demographics, and infrastructure. You’re part of the very Senate Committee on Constitution Review that handles these proposals. If documentation was genuinely the barrier, you had all the institutional resources at your disposal to address it. Instead, you opted to critique its absence. That’s the distinction between a senator and a mere observer, Senator: one takes action to bridge the gap, while the other merely comments on it. Criticism without contribution isn’t leadership; it’s just commentary from a place of privilege about those who, despite their shortcomings, actually made an effort.
9. It’s also worth noting the irony in your assertion of having been “instrumental” in renaming the project from Urhobo State to Ethiope State. The name Ethiope has been part of discussions among Urhobo scholars and advocates for state creation for years — even decades — before you got involved. Presenting the community’s intellectual heritage as your own advice doesn’t bolster your argument, Senator. It undermines your credibility as an unbiased judge of who has genuinely contributed to this cause.

On “Where Was Omo-Agege’s Team Patriotism for Eight Years?”

10. This question, which has been brought up on your behalf, really deserves a straightforward answer — no deflections, no whataboutery, and definitely not the old tactic of dragging up the past to justify the present’s shortcomings.
11. It’s true that Senator Ovie Omo-Agege held the position of Deputy President of the Senate and led the Constitution Review Committee. That’s common knowledge. Reasonable Urhobo sons and daughters can certainly discuss what more could have been accomplished during that time for Ethiope State, and that’s a valid conversation to have. However, two things can coexist, Senator: the Omo-Agege era had its own room for growth, and your three years in office have yielded absolutely no legislative progress for Ethiope State. Using a predecessor’s record as a defense isn’t an answer to your own performance; it’s an acknowledgment that you’re lacking one.
12. What’s indisputable is that Senator Omo-Agege’s time in office was marked by real achievements — tangible, documented, life-changing results for Urhobo, Delta Central, Delta State, and Nigeria as a whole. He was the one who sponsored the bill that established the Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun, and got it signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari, succeeding where others had genuinely tried and failed. It’s only fair to recognize those earlier efforts and the senators who contributed — their work wasn’t in vain, and history should reflect that. But it was Omo-Agege who ultimately pushed the bill over the finish line. And he didn’t take 1,095 days to do it. The FUPRE bill was passed by the Senate just five months after he took office. Five months, Senator. Not three years. Not 1,095 days of silence and newspaper articles. Just five months of dedicated, focused, and unapologetic legislative action — and Delta Central had a law to show for it.
13. In addition to FUPRE, he also secured the establishment of the Federal Polytechnic Orogun, the Federal University of Medical and Health Sciences in Kwale, and delivered an Oil and Gas Industrial Park and a Defence Space School to Delta. As the Deputy President of the Senate, he was a driving force behind groundbreaking legislation that impacted every part of Nigeria — from electoral reforms to constitutional changes that transformed the governance of our republic. These aren’t just buzzwords; they represent real institutions, enduring laws, and legacies that create jobs, educate our youth, and will stand the test of time, outlasting any political cycle. This is what true legislative representation looks like when a senator steps up — not just for his district, but for his people, his state, and his nation.
14. That’s why the Urhobo community rallied around him. That’s why Delta Central acknowledged his time in office as genuinely impactful. That’s why Nigeria honored him with a national award. And that’s why his esteemed colleagues in the Senate — men and women who have seen the full spectrum of legislative talent in that chamber — chose him as Deputy President of the Senate during his second term. Peers don’t elevate mediocrity; they recognize true capability, legislative insight, and a proven track record of getting things done. Senator Omo-Agege earned that position. It wasn’t handed to him. It wasn’t brokered in secret meetings. It was granted by those who witnessed his dedication firsthand.
15. That’s the benchmark, Senator Dafinone, against which you must now be evaluated — and it’s a standard that your 1,095 days of newspaper columns, private advice, and borrowed accolades simply can’t measure up to. Five months of tangible results versus three years of inaction. Your camp wants Delta Central to overlook that stark difference. We won’t allow it. And we believe that the Urhobo people, who experienced both periods, can clearly see the distinction between a senator who hit the ground running and one who hasn’t even left the starting line.
16. I say this not just as an observer but as someone who was part of that journey — who lived it, worked hard for it, and takes pride in having contributed to it. I had the privilege of serving as the Senior Special Assistant on Communication and Strategy to Senator Omo-Agege from 2015 to 2019, and later as his Special Adviser on Special Duties when he became the Deputy President of the Senate in the 9th National Assembly. During that time, I was deeply involved in shaping the messaging and strategic positioning that effectively highlighted his accomplishments to the Urhobo people, Delta State, and the entire nation. I’ve seen firsthand what it means for a senator to truly advocate for their constituents — the early mornings, the tough legislative fights, the coalition-building, and the unwavering drive for results. I was right there in the thick of it, and I take pride in that legacy.
17. This legacy was built on real achievements, not just catchy slogans. It was about legislation, not complaints. It reflects a senator who harnessed the power entrusted to him by his people to create lasting institutions that will endure long after today’s political landscape fades away. That’s the record that Senator Dafinone’s camp is now asking Delta Central to overlook. We won’t be swayed.
18. In fact, your own argument, Senator, seems to work against you. You claim that committee leadership, closeness to the Presidency, and structural power are key to state creation. You currently possess that committee seat, that closeness, and that structural power — yet there’s been no bill, no motion, no sustained effort. By your own reasoning, that makes your lack of action even more concerning, not less. Omo-Agege demonstrated to Delta Central what’s achievable when a senator pairs access with action. You’ve had the access, Senator, but where’s the action?

On Your Curious Self-Effacement

19. There is a deeper contradiction worth surfacing, Senator. Your original article insists that you do not care who takes the glory for Ethiope State, provided the Urhobo Nation secures the mandate. Yet the entire piece is a careful, paragraph-by-paragraph account of what you advised, what you observed, what you corrected, and what you predicted — each line constructed to position you as the most strategically sophisticated mind in this struggle. A man genuinely indifferent to glory does not write an article cataloguing his own indispensability while cataloguing everyone else’s failures. Delta Central is entitled to notice that contradiction, and your camp’s response has done nothing to resolve it.

On the “Weaponised Political Gimmick” Charge 

20. Your office has labeled this movement as a mere tactic to “revive a fading political career,” implying that Chief Ominimini’s ambition for a House of Representatives seat and Dr. Omene’s political interests are the true motivations behind their advocacy, rather than a sincere commitment to the Urhobo people.
21. This characterization is both unfortunate and unjust, Senator. It’s entirely possible for dedicated citizens to have political aspirations while also engaging in meaningful public service — these two pursuits can coexist beautifully. Nigerian political history is filled with leaders who established solid advocacy records before stepping into office. In fact, Chief Ominimini’s achievements in Ethiope State, accomplished without a salary or formal backing, arguably make him more qualified for elected office than someone who remains silent while holding a Senate title.
22. Additionally, Senator, it’s important to point out that your article, released at this particular political juncture—just as elections loom and the constitutional review process you were part of comes to an end—is being portrayed by your camp as a display of statesmanship. Meanwhile, the advocacy efforts of private citizens are dismissed as mere opportunism. The Urhobo people are more than capable of making their own judgments and may wonder if the timing of your statements reveals more about strategy than genuine belief.

On Consultation With the Governor and Traditional Institutions

23. Your camp has emphasized the need to consult with the Governor, the UPU, and traditional leaders — a point I completely agree with. However, Senator, as the current senator for Delta Central, you have direct access to the Governor that ordinary citizens simply don’t possess. If this gap in consultation was deemed critical, the logical step would have been for you to take the initiative to address it personally. Instead, you chose to publish an article highlighting this absence three years into your term, while asserting that state creation hinges on the approval of a sitting governor. That stance, if we follow it through, essentially gives one executive the power to veto a constitutional process that should really belong to the people. We’ve seen several Nigerian states come into being amidst a lack of clear direction from the executive. Relying on the goodwill of a single individual for Urhobo self-determination isn’t a strategy, Senator; it’s a gamble.

A Final Word

24. Your camp wraps up by promising Delta Central that you’re still “committed to an inclusive, respectful, and consultative approach to leadership.” The Urhobo people appreciate your eloquence, Senator, but what they’re truly looking for is your legislative track record — and maybe even your readiness to stand up for it yourself instead of sending someone else to do the talking. The Urhobo Nation doesn’t need more people diagnosing what’s gone wrong; it needs someone who will actually use the powers they were elected to wield and have the courage to speak up for themselves when faced with challenges. You hold a Senate seat, a legislative platform, a connection with the executive, and access to national resources. So, the question Delta Central needs to consider is straightforward: Senator, aside from articles, advisories, and aides fighting your battles, what have you truly accomplished?
25. The Urhobo Nation deserves a senator who stands up on the floor of the National Assembly, not one who engages in battles in newspaper comment sections, and certainly not one who delegates that fight to others. It’s this contest of achievements, not just words, that Delta Central will ultimately evaluate on January 16, 2027.

Signed:

Godwin Anaughe 

Political & Communications Strategist | Son of the Urhobo Nation

For media advert placement, events coverage, media consultancy, placement of publications and further inquiries please WhatsApp 2348023773039 or email: labakevwe@yahoo.com

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