Our attention has been drawn to a disturbing 9th July 2026 online publication in the *Daily Independent by Sunny Apah* , Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the Governor of Delta State on Media.
The publication credited the *Delta State Government under Governor Sheriff Oborevwori* with granting false recognition to one Jacob Ogedegbe (Aziza) as Chairman of the Otughievwen Community Executive Committee, headquarters of Ughelli South Local Government Area.
As a community, our first impression is that the said publication is a deliberate attempt to blackmail *Governor Sheriff Oborevwori* , just as it represents a descent into irresponsible and libelous journalism by *Daily Independent.*
It is even more disappointing that the same Daily Independent, in a hardcopy edition of 8th June 2026 by same Sunny Apah, celebrated Mr. Augustine Garri on his emergence as Chairman of Otughievwen following his successful election on 3rd June 2026.
That report further stated that Garri had been sworn in and handed over power by the *Edion-In-Council (Elders’ Committee),* under whose mandate Garri had commenced his stewardship.
Since then, he has carried out repairs on broken-down transformers and instituted annual scholarships for 12 science students from the community to encourage continued engagement in technological studies.
That same Daily Independent, through same reporter, can recant and promote the vested interest of the Delta State *Commissioner for Women Affairs, Community and Social Development, Princess Pat Ajudua* , as Governor Oborevwori administration’s affirmation Aziza, an impostor, as Otughievwen Chairman, is the height of gutter journalism.
In the _Daily Independent_ report, Sunny Apah quoted Princess Ajudua as claiming she acted based on “the intervention that the Electoral Committee of Otughievwen Community presented the elected officials to the Ministry, and it is these officers that were issued certificates of recognition.”
What a delusion.
On 3rd June 2026, an Electoral Committee headed by Godwin Mukoro conducted the Community EXCO election under the supervision of the Ughelli South LGA Chairman, Hon. Lucky Avweromre, represented by the Secretary to the LG, Chief John Ewenede, and the DPO, Otu-Jeremi Division, as key observers.
Neither the Commissioner for Women Affairs nor her representative was present to witness the exercise.
According to results announced and attested to by both key observers and the larger community at the Town Hall, Augustine Garri emerged Chairman after securing the majority vote of 10 out of 18 delegates. Ogedegbe (Aziza) polled 7 votes, while another candidate, Sunday Durume, got 1 vote.
By the Constitution of Otughievwen, the mandate of the Electoral Committee ended with the conduct and declaration of results and winners. It was not the Committee’s place to present elected persons to the State Government through the Commissioner for Women Affairs, Community and Social Development.
The Edion-In-Council (Elders’ Committee), which was in charge of the community at the time of the election, is vested with the mandate to inaugurate and hand over to the rightful winner, and to introduce him to external stakeholders.
The Elders have since inaugurated Garri and introduced him to NPDC and other external stakeholders, affirming him as the substantive Chairman of Otughievwen Community.
For reasons best known to them, the purported presentation of impostor Aziza, and the recognition accorded him by Princess Ajudua, amount to a conspiracy.
A petition to that effect is already before the Delta State Commissioner of Police, CP Yemi Oyeniyi, requesting an investigation and prosecution of Princess Ajudua for allegedly inciting a violent crisis in Otughievwen through her misguided recognition of an impostor as Chairman.
While we demand that Daily Independent and Sunny Apah retract the publication and desist from using the Governor’s name to perpetrate blackmail, we urge the public to discountenance the said report.
Augustine Garri is the serving Chairman of Otughievwen Community. The general public take note.
Signed:
For: Otughievwen Community