The Chairman of Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State, Jaro Egbo, has attributed the wave of smear campaign against him to political scheming ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking during a chat with newsmen, Egbo said his opponents are attempting to discredit him over speculations that he may contest for the House of Representatives seat.
He denied having such ambition, insisting he would only run for elective office if directed by his political leader, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori.
“They say I want to go for the House of Representatives in 2027. I said I’m not going. Even if I want to contest, am I not qualified?” Egbo said.
“This is all politics. Their goal is to spoil my name before the time.”
He specifically accused some political actors, including Tejiri and his brother, Ominimini, allegedly also eyeing the same seat of fueling the rumours and sponsoring damaging narratives against him.
Egbo also addressed allegations that he illegally acquired government property near Ogor Market and rented it to security agencies for personal profit.
He described the claims as false and misleading, noting that the property in question was allocated with approval from the Delta State Development and Property Authority (DDPA) to support the state-backed security operation, ‘Operation Sweep.’
“When the operation came, every council wanted it. We got permission to use that property, which had been illegally occupied for over 12 years,” he said.
“We paid the occupants N250,000 each to vacate. One of them, Nicholas, an appointee who even collected rent from others, took the government to court and is now the one peddling lies that I’m collecting rent from the army.”
He emphasised that no rent was collected from any government security agency, calling the accusations politically motivated and baseless.
On security, the council chairman highlighted significant progress since assuming office in July.
He described Ughelli as a former hotspot for kidnappings and robberies, particularly along the Evwreni and Uwiamughe axis.
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“It was a daily occurrence then; you either got shot or kidnapped. I cried to the governor, and he responded swiftly. We cleared the bushes and got a special police team led by ASP Julius,” Egbo said.
“Since then, over 32 armed suspects have been neutralised in the course of security operations, and we’ve had no robbery or kidnapping in the past four months.”
He commended Gov. Oborevwori and the state Commissioner of Police, Abaniwonda, for their efforts in restoring peace and stability to the local government area.
Egbo also spoke on the personal toll of the ongoing smear campaign, recounting how his young daughter recently asked if he carries a gun after hearing a rumour at school.
“I told her, I’ve never bought or shot a gun in my life. The only gun I have is my mouth,” he said.
“I tried to stay silent, but I think I’m making a mistake by doing that.”
