Anaughe Accuses  Dafinone Of Ingratitude, Says He Can't Retire Omo-Agege From Politics

Senator Ede Dafinone has been accused of political ingratitude and poor representation of Delta Central, with Godwin Anaughe declaring that the lawmaker cannot retire former Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, who played a key role in his emergence in 2023.

Godwin Anaughe made the remarks in a statement on Friday reacting to Dafinone's declaration at the inauguration of the Delta APC Campaign Council, where he reportedly described himself as the man assigned to “retire all the wizards in Delta Central.”

Describing Dafinone's political posture as “a joke taken too far,” Anaughe alleged that the senator benefited from the political structures and influence built by Omo-Agege rather than establishing an independent political base.

He claimed that while other party members were working to build the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State ahead of the 2023 elections, Dafinone was not actively involved in the political struggles that preceded his emergence as the party's candidate for Delta Central Senatorial District.

According to Anaughe, Omo-Agege, who was then a leading APC figure in the state, played a significant role in securing the senatorial ticket for Dafinone.

He argued that Dafinone's reported ambition to retire political figures in Delta Central was inconsistent with the circumstances surrounding his emergence as senator.

Anaughe also questioned Dafinone's performance since assuming office, asking what tangible benefits the people of Delta Central had received from his representation at the National Assembly.

He raised questions about federal projects, legislative achievements, grassroots empowerment and the senator's advocacy for the Urhobo nation.

“Where is that loud, fearless voice for the Urhobo nation that Omo-Agege gave us for eight years?” Anaughe asked, comparing Dafinone's performance with that of his predecessor.

He further alleged that Dafinone had reduced the senatorial seat to what he described as a mere attendance sheet, accusing him of maintaining a limited presence in legislative activities and constituency engagements.

In the statement, Anaughe described Dafinone as “the wizard of vanishing,” alleging that he was absent from legislative debates, constituency engagements and efforts to advance the political interests of the Urhobo nation.

He maintained that Delta Central was not a family enterprise where a Senate seat could be transferred from one individual to another, insisting that the electorate was politically conscious enough to assess the performance of its representatives.

The statement also compared Omo-Agege's political rise to Dafinone's emergence in the Senate, arguing that the former attained national prominence through political strategy and support, while the latter benefited from his influence.

“You cannot retire Omo-Agege. You can't even retire his shadow,” Anaughe declared, arguing that Dafinone secured the senatorial seat through Omo-Agege's political influence and was now seeking another opportunity through the political platform of Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori.

He warned that the 2027 elections would provide the people of Delta Central with an opportunity to decide the senator's political future.

According to him, the district needs a senator who can deliver effective representation rather than engage in political rhetoric.

Furthermore, Anaughe described the anticipated 2027 electoral contest as a potential “retirement party” for politicians he accused of betraying party leaders and failing to meet the expectations of their constituents.

He concluded that Delta Central needed effective representation rather than a politician focused on retiring perceived political rivals.

“Delta Central does not need a man who retires wizards. It needs a real Senator,” he said.

Read the full statement below:

Dafinone Has Become a Joke Taken Too Far, Can't Retire the Man Who Made Him Senator

We would have ignored Senator Ede Dafinone's latest outburst, but since he chose the inauguration of the Delta APC Campaign Council to announce his new job title as the man assigned to “retire all the wizards in Delta Central,” we feel obliged to put his comedy in proper perspective.

Frankly, Dafinone is beginning to look like a joke taken too far.

His entire political story can be told in one line: he got what he never worked for. In 2023, when real party men were on the ground building structures, funding the APC and battling the PDP with their own resources, Dafinone was nowhere near the trenches. He was in his air-conditioned office waiting for a call. That call eventually came, and it was Senator Ovie Omo-Agege who, as party leader, magnanimously handed him the Delta Central ticket without any serious contest.

That is Dafinone's CV. No primary fight, no structure, no street credibility. Just a gifted ticket.

And now, almost three and a half years into a tenure that has been a textbook example of absentee representation, the same beneficiary is on a podium saying he will retire the wizards. Which wizards exactly? Is it the same Omo-Agege who made his senatorship possible? Is it the leaders who built the APC in Delta from scratch while he was missing in action?

It is pure ingratitude. Shameless betrayal.

Let's assess this self-styled wizard-hunter. In almost three and a half years, what has Delta Central felt from his being in the Senate? Where is the federal presence? Where is that loud, fearless voice for the Urhobo nation that Omo-Agege gave us for eight years? What bill has he passed? What landmark project has he attracted? Where is the real empowerment that reaches the grassroots?

The answer is simple — nothing. He has reduced one of the most powerful Senate seats in Nigeria, once the office of the Deputy President of the Senate, to a mere attendance sheet. He signs in Abuja, sneaks around Delta Central for social events and photo-ops, and disappears.

If there is any wizard here, it is Dafinone himself — the wizard of vanishing. He vanishes from legislative debates, vanishes from his constituency, vanishes from the fight for Urhobo relevance. The only place he never vanishes is in front of a camera for meet-and-greet.

Dafinone needs to understand that Delta Central is not a family business where a Senate seat is passed around like company shares. This is the heart of the Urhobo nation, with politically enlightened people who know who is working and who is just wearing agbada.

You cannot retire Omo-Agege. You can't even retire his shadow. Omo-Agege rose to become the number five man in this country through strategy, grit and popular support. Dafinone got to the Senate by riding on his back and now hopes to return on the back of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori. The difference is clear.

So let the self-appointed retirer continue his comedy tour. But he should be reminded that 2027 is around the corner. And when it comes, the people of Delta Central will organize a proper retirement party. Not for wizards, but for political tourists, for ingrates, for betrayers, for benchwarmers who mistook a rare privilege for personal strength.

When that retirement comes, it will be total and it will be humiliating.

Delta Central does not need a man who retires wizards. It needs a real Senator.

Signed: Godwin Anaughe

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