A deepening power struggle over leadership and authority has thrown the Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State into political uncertainty, following a dispute involving the Legislative Council, its leadership, and control of the official legislative mace.
The crisis came to public attention after the newly elected Leader of the Legislative Council, Rt. Hon. Sunday Mordi, accused the council’s executive arm of interfering in legislative affairs and attempting to impose an alternative leadership against the will of elected councillors.
Rt. Hon. Mordi disclosed these developments while briefing journalists at the Delta State Secretariat of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Asaba, where he gave a detailed account of events that led to the ongoing standoff within the council.
According to Mordi, the dispute began with the impeachment of the former Leader of the House, Rt. Hon. Chris Nwamgbor, and his Deputy, Rt. Hon. Augustina Odogwu. He said the impeachment followed a resolution passed by members of the Legislative Council and was reportedly supported by the entire House.
Following their removal, Rt. Hon. Mordi said he was duly elected by his colleagues as the new Leader of the Legislative Arm of the local government, in line with legislative procedures.
He explained that the newly constituted leadership subsequently convened a plenary session at the council’s legislative chambers, during which members discussed legislative priorities for the year and pledged their commitment to peace, due process, and effective grassroots governance in Oshimili North.
Mordi further stated that at the end of the plenary sitting, the Clerk of the House, Benedict Agboje, officially handed over the Legislative Mace—the recognised symbol of authority of the council—to him, affirming his position as Leader of the House.
However, tensions escalated shortly afterwards, with the legislative leadership accusing the Chairman of Oshimili North Local Government, Hon. Innocent Esewezie, of rejecting the outcome of the House’s internal decisions.
According to Mordi, the chairman allegedly threatened to shut down the legislative arm, vowed that the House under his leadership would no longer function, and insisted on appointing a different leadership outside the decision of the councillors.
The situation reportedly worsened when the chairman announced the appointment of Hon. Henry Olowu as Leader of the Legislative Arm and reinstated Hon. Augustina Odogwu, despite her earlier impeachment by the House.
In another development that drew criticism, the legislative leadership alleged that the chairman ordered the removal of the roof of the Legislative Council building under the pretext of total renovation. Critics described the move as a deliberate attempt to prevent the House from holding sittings and carrying out its constitutional duties.
Reacting to these actions, the Legislative Council described them as unconstitutional, illegal, and a direct violation of the principle of separation of powers at the local government level.
Mordi accused the chairman of executive interference, insisting that only the Legislative Council has the authority to elect or remove its leadership. He maintained that any appointments or reinstatements not ratified by the House lack legal standing.
“I remain the authentic and duly elected Leader of the Legislative Arm of Oshimili North Local Government Area, and I am in lawful custody of the legislative mace,” Mordi declared.
He urged members of the public, government agencies, and security operatives to disregard any parallel leadership arrangement not approved by the Legislative Council, stressing that the House had not endorsed the chairman’s actions.
The lawmaker also appealed to the Governor of Delta State, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, to intervene urgently to restore order, noting that the state government is built on respect for the rule of law, democratic values, and separation of powers.
“We were elected by the people, and their mandate must be respected. Governance at the grassroots must not be reduced to personal control or intimidation,” Mordi said.
As of the time of filing this report, repeated efforts to obtain a response from the council chairman were unsuccessful.
Meanwhile, political stakeholders, community leaders, and civil society actors have called for calm, dialogue, and a lawful resolution of the crisis to prevent further disruption of governance and service delivery in Oshimili North Local Government Area.
