Omo-Agege to Waive: You Lied, I Never Asked You to Kill FMC Ovwian Bill

Deputy President of the 9th Senate and Delta Central Senatorial Candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, debunked claims by the member representing Ughelli North / Ughelli South / Udu Federal Constituency, Rev. Francis Waive, that he ordered him to kill the FMC Ovwian Bill, releasing presidential approval for Federal Polytechnic Orogun dated Feb 2021 – nine months before Waive’s bill.

Waive reportedly made the allegation last week while campaigning in Udu, claiming Omo-Agege called him during the 9th Assembly and ordered him to kill the bill.

But in a spontaneous reaction, Omo-Agege’s Special Adviser, Strategy and Communications, Godwin Anaughe, described the claim as a “reckless lie and a shameless attempt to tarnish Omo-Agege’s name ahead of the 2027 Delta Central senatorial election”.

He said that at no time did Senator Omo-Agege summon Waive, nor did he ever ask him to step down or abandon the FMC Ovwian Bill.

Anaughe said that Waive, a pastor-turned-politician, has become so desperate, sensing that he will lose the general election after spending seven long years in the House with nothing to show for it.

“Waive is on the lookout for someone to blame. Rather than owning up to his own glaring incompetence, he’s busy creating a villain,” Anaughe said.

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The statement reads, “As 2027 approaches, his strategy takes a darker turn — he aims to tarnish Omo-Agege, the APC’s biggest rival, damage his impressive legacy, and turn his own failures into a story of victimhood.

“We deliberately held our response. We didn’t want this reduced to his word against ours; we wanted the evidence to speak. And now it has. The House of Representatives Order Papers, alongside the presidential correspondence contradicted Waive’s story and demolished it.

“On 23 February 2021, Senator Omo-Agege received confirmation of presidential approval for the Federal Polytechnic, Orogun. Waive’s FMC Ovwian Bill (HB. 989) did not get its Second Reading until 16 November 2021 — nearly nine months later. It then proceeded to Third Reading on 29 September 2022.

“Put simply, Orogun had been approved a full nineteen months before Waive’s bill reached Third Reading. What possible reason would Omo-Agege have to pressure him to stand it down?

“That is the question Waive must answer: how could Omo-Agege order you to drop a bill for a project that had already been approved nine months before your own bill even got a Second Reading? The timeline alone exposes the lie.

“Waive’s claims further fall apart when you look at Omo-Agege’s record. As the Deputy President of the 9th Senate, he presided over the Senate’s approval of the Federal University of Education, Isiokolo — a bill that was sponsored by Hon. Ben Ibakpa, an opposition member. Rather than blocking it, he actually helped it pass. He also co-sponsored the Federal University of Agriculture and Technology, Aboh (Establishment) Bill, 2021 (SB. 733), which was introduced by Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, as contained in the Senate Order Paper of June 1, 2021. A person with such a strong history of supporting federal initiatives from various lawmakers, including those in opposition, has no reason to covertly sabotage the FMC Ovwian Bill.

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“There is a difference between disagreeing with a politician and inventing a meeting that never happened. Waive has done the latter.

“Frankly, none of this is surprising. Waive’s disregard for the truth is well known. What is truly disheartening is the ingratitude — publicly attacking the man who made him politically relevant. It is the height of betrayal. Let’s be blunt: it was Omo-Agege’s structure, resources, and personal backing that took Waive to the House of Representatives in 2019 and 2023. Without Omo-Agege, there would be no “Honourable” before Francis Waive’s name.

“It’s truly disgraceful for a man who claims to be a Reverend to take the stage and hurl such serious accusations against his own political benefactor — all without any evidence. This behavior is not only unchristian but also beneath the dignity of his sacred role. Waive has really sullied the pulpit.

“Scripture speaks clearly to this: “My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation” (James 3:1). “A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall not escape” (Proverbs 19:5). And the Lord hates “a lying tongue” and “a false witness that speaketh lies” (Proverbs 6:16-19).

“By his own professed standards, Waive stands condemned. A man who so openly bears false witness has no moral claim to trust, let alone votes. The people of Ughelli North / Ughelli South / Udu should reject him decisively at the polls.

“Senator Omo-Agege has never needed to pull one federal project down to lift another. His record of attracting federal institutions to Delta Central and Delta State as a whole is public and verifiable. If Waive has evidence, let him produce it: give us the date, the venue, the witnesses. Show us the document.

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“Until then, the facts are settled: Omo-Agege did not stop the FMC Ovwian Bill. The timeline does not support Waive’s claim. What he is peddling as history is nothing but fabrication”.