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The Leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) Caucus in the House of Representatives, Rep. Afam Victor Ogene, has dismissed recent claims by former Edo State Governor and Senator representing Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole, over Peter Obi’s security record as governor of Anambra State, describing them as “brazen falsehoods” and an attempt to rewrite history.
Ogene’s reaction followed comments made by Oshiomhole during a recent podcast interview in which the former labour leader reportedly argued that Obi’s handling of security in Anambra was poor and questioned his capacity to tackle Nigeria’s current security challenges if elected president.
In a statement issued on Monday, Rep. Ogene insisted that Senator Oshiomhole’s assertions were inconsistent with publicly available records, maintaining that Obi’s administration recorded significant achievements in security.
“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,” he said.
The lawmaker accused Senator Oshiomhole of engaging in political propaganda and attempting to distort historical facts for partisan purposes.
According to him, Oshiomhole had “officially joined the growing league of self-appointed press secretaries to President Bola Tinubu,” adding that his public interventions were often characterised by controversy and factual inaccuracies.
Ogene also faulted Senator Oshiomhole’s references to the Bakassi Boys, arguing that the vigilante group’s operations predated Obi’s administration and were associated with the tenure of the late Governor Chinwoke Mbadinuju.
“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,” he stated.
He further rejected Oshiomhole’s claim that the demolition of kidnappers’ hideouts began under former Governor Willie Obiano, insisting that the policy was initiated during Obi’s administration as part of efforts to curb violent crime.
The NDC caucus leader also highlighted Obi’s community-based security initiative, which involved the recruitment, training and equipping of security personnel across Anambra’s 177 communities, describing it as an early model for state policing.
To support his argument, Rep. Ogene cited the testimony of former Anambra State Commissioner of Police, Philemon Leha, who served during Obi’s tenure.
“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,” Leha was quoted as saying.
Ogene argued that the former police commissioner’s account provided firsthand evidence of Obi’s commitment to security and contradicted Oshiomhole‘s narrative.
He also alleged that recent criticisms directed at Obi by politicians from both the ruling party and sections of the opposition reflected growing concerns over the former Anambra governor’s political influence ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“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,” Rep. Ogene said.
He maintained that Obi had every constitutional right to seek elective office and urged political actors to allow Nigerians to decide his political future at the ballot box rather than resorting to smear campaigns.
“No amount of sponsored attacks can deny Peter Obi his democratic rights or prevent him from contesting if he so chooses,” Rep. Ogene added.
