Former National Human Rights Commission chairman Chidi Odinkalu has publicly ridiculed ex-Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege following his recent political misfortunes. In a social media post on Sunday, Odinkalu remarked that Omo-Agege could not have foreseen his current troubles when he was implicated in the 2018 theft of the Senate mace, an incident tied to his loyalty to the All Progressives Congress.
Odinkalu noted that within a single week, Omo-Agege faced a series of defeats: he was effectively forced out of the APC and lost senatorial primary elections under two separate parties. Despite these setbacks, Odinkalu acknowledged that Omo-Agege had significantly boosted the APC’s presence in Delta State.
He argued that these events underscore the fleeting nature of political authority, pointing out that many politicians who once thrived on Nigeria’s power dynamics are now encountering unexpected outcomes. “Leadership is voluntary, and there is no joy when those who pursue it for the right reasons are repeatedly denied,” Odinkalu wrote. “But that applies only when they seek it for the right reasons. When @OvieOmoAgege burgled the mace of @SenateNGR to prove his willingness to do anything for @OfficialAPCNg, he hardly imagined a week like this past one.”
He continued: “In one week, he has been constructively booted out of the APC and lost two Senate primaries in two different parties—one to a man, another to a woman. The irony is that Omo-Agege is arguably the person who gave the APC a credible chance in Delta State.”
Odinkalu concluded: “For many who have grown fat on the humbug of Nigerian power, the Tinubu system is handing out rewards indiscriminately. It is a rude reminder of the transience of power.”
Reports indicate that Omo-Agege’s bid for the National Democratic Congress ticket in Delta Central Senatorial District also failed. He had defected from APC to NDC after losing the APC primary to former Delta Governor Ifeanyi Okowa.