By Simon Agwuariavwodo
I have been around for a while and have learnt to distinguish between genuine loyalty and loyalty that exists only when everything is going well.
I have seen people remain close when circumstances are favourable and suddenly become distant when the tables turn. But my experience with Comrade Reuben Izeze has been different.
The man I have come to know is someone who, despite the difficult circumstances surrounding him at the moment, has remained committed to his principles, his duty, humanity and, above all, his loyalty to his principal, Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori.
I am writing this because several narratives have emerged in recent days regarding the events at the APC stakeholders’ meeting held at the PTI Conference Centre in Warri on July 26, 2026.
Some of those narratives have portrayed Izeze in a manner that is completely different from the person I know.
I was at the venue from the beginning. I travelled with Comrade Izeze from Asaba to Warri that day, and at no point during our journey did he tell me, suggest to me or indicate that he intended to instigate violence or cause trouble at the meeting.
I therefore feel compelled, based on my personal experience, to put my perspective on record.
The man I travelled with
On that day, I travelled in Izeze’s vehicle from Asaba to Warri. We discussed the political situation and the forthcoming elections, but I did not hear him speak about any plan to cause violence or attack anybody.
I have since read allegations suggesting that he instigated people around him to cause trouble at the meeting.
I cannot speak for what happened in every corner of the venue, but I can speak about what I personally saw and heard.
From my experience with him, I do not believe that deliberately instigating violence is consistent with the man I know.
Izeze has also consistently expressed his loyalty to Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and the administration he leads.
Whatever disagreements may exist within political circles, I have never known him to seek to undermine his principal.
How the situation affected me
My own experience after the incident has also been difficult.
As I have explained, my involvement in the matter, according to my understanding, arose from my decision to stand surety for a man identified as Sunday Ebamrese.
I stood as surety for Ebamrese so that he could be granted bail. However, he later became unavailable and, according to my account, eloped.
I subsequently learnt that this development resulted in my name being included in a complaint in which it was alleged that I was among those who attacked the complainant at the APC stakeholders’ meeting.
That allegation is something I strongly dispute.
My only involvement, as I understand it, was that I stood surety for Ebamrese. I did not participate in any attack at the meeting.
I later presented myself at the Area Command in Ekpan on July 27 to explain the situation.
I did so because I believed it was important to clarify what had happened rather than avoid the authorities.
I have spent 14 days in detention, an experience I would rather tell in detail another day. But that experience allowed me to observe Izeze under circumstances in which many people’s true character would be tested.
I am presently in detention with Izeze, despite maintaining that I had nothing to do with the alleged attack.
From my understanding, the situation arose after information was allegedly supplied to the police which, I believe, did not accurately reflect my involvement.
I am not making this assertion to determine the outcome of the case. That is for the appropriate authorities and the court to establish.
I am simply explaining my own experience and why I believe my involvement in the matter has been misunderstood.
The man I saw under pressure
Izeze himself later presented himself to the police.
According to what I witnessed, despite his own condition, he became concerned about the other people who were being detained alongside him, including domestic staff and neighbours.
What struck me most was his refusal to separate himself from those he believed were being treated unfairly.
When he had an opportunity to receive what he considered preferential treatment, he did not simply think about himself. Instead, he expressed concern about the people who had been detained with him.
He chose to remain with them.
That experience changed the way I looked at him.
It is easy to speak about loyalty when everything is comfortable. It is much harder to demonstrate loyalty when a person is facing personal hardship.
For me, that was when I began to understand the depth of his commitment to the people and causes he believes in.
I have been in detention with him and have seen firsthand how he has handled the situation.
Despite his own difficulties, he has continued to show concern for others and has remained focused on what he believes is right.
That is the Reuben Izeze I have come to know.
What I witnessed about his treatment
Izeze was dealing with his own health challenges when he presented himself to the authorities.
From what I witnessed, he had sustained injuries and required medical attention.
Yet even in that condition, he remained concerned about the people around him.
At one point, when he was taken for medical attention, I was deeply affected by what I saw as the manner in which he was treated.
Rather than concentrating only on his own discomfort, he continued to ask questions about the people who had been detained alongside him.
It was difficult to reconcile the man I was seeing with some of the descriptions of him circulating outside.
His concern for other detainees
One of the things that has remained with me throughout this experience is Izeze’s concern for other detainees.
Some of those detained with us, according to what I witnessed, were domestic staff and neighbours who had little or no connection with the political events that led to the arrests.
Some had not visited Warri for many years.
Yet Izeze was concerned about their welfare and their freedom.
He did not simply focus on getting himself out of the situation. He also wanted the people around him to be treated fairly.
After spending days in detention, he continued to advocate for those he believed needed help.
That, for me, says something about character.
A person’s true nature is often revealed not when he is enjoying power or influence, but when he has nothing to gain from showing kindness.
Loyalty under pressure
One of the biggest lessons I have learnt from this experience is that loyalty is not properly measured when the road is smooth.
It is tested when there is pressure.
It is tested when a person’s reputation is questioned.
It is tested when he is separated from the comfort and privileges that normally come with public office and political influence.
In those circumstances, I saw a man who continued to speak positively about Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and maintained his commitment to the administration he serves.
Whether people agree with his political choices or not, that level of consistency has left an impression on me.
My view of the APC meeting allegations
I want to be clear that I am not writing this piece to determine what happened at the APC stakeholders’ meeting or to replace the work of the police or the courts.
I am writing about the person I personally know.
I was present at the meeting. I travelled with Izeze before the event. I have subsequently shared a difficult experience with him, and I have watched his conduct under pressure.
Based on that experience, I do not recognise the person being described in some of the narratives circulating about him.
If there are allegations against him, those allegations should be tested through the appropriate legal process and the facts established.
But public opinion should also allow room for people who have personally interacted with him to tell their experiences.
A lesson in loyalty
I have always believed that political loyalty should not be measured only by what a person says when he is comfortable.
The real test comes when circumstances become difficult.
During this experience, I watched Izeze remain loyal to Governor Oborevwori despite the pressure surrounding him.
He continued to refer to the governor respectfully and spoke about the administration with the same conviction I had seen before the crisis.
I have never seen a more striking example of loyalty under pressure.
It has made me ask myself a simple question: What manner of man is this?
For me, the answer is a man who has remained concerned about others even when he himself is facing hardship.
What I have learnt from him
Izeze Reuben is not perfect.
Like every public figure, he can be questioned, criticised and held accountable.
But the man I have come to know is one who, in difficult circumstances, has shown concern for other people.
That is the reason I decided to write.
I do not claim that my experience represents the complete picture of everything that happened. Neither do I seek to determine the outcome of any ongoing legal process.
I simply want to put on record what I personally witnessed and what those experiences have taught me about a man I have come to respect.
People often talk about loyalty when it is convenient.
But loyalty that survives pressure is different.
For me, Comrade Reuben Izeze has demonstrated that kind of loyalty.
His present circumstances may be difficult, but they have also revealed a side of him that I believe deserves to be acknowledged.
I have learnt from him that a person’s character is not necessarily revealed by the position he occupies, but by how he behaves when that position offers him little protection.
That is the Reuben Izeze I have come to know.
Have you ever had your loyalty tested?
Mine has been.
And from what I have witnessed, so has his.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the publication.
