By DADA AYOKHAI
Senator Rowland Owie, a top official of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has dismissed allegations linking him to the disruption of a political gathering in Edo State as baseless and malicious.
In a statement, Owie said the claims were a clumsy attempt by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to deflect responsibility for the actions of their thugs .
The Edo State Government and the APC had attributed the attack to internal conflicts within the ADC urging the party to look inward.
The duo alleged that a faction of the ADC, led by former Senate Chief Whip Roland Owie, who was allegedly excluded from a meeting at John Odigie-Oyegun’s residence, might be behind the disruption and assassination attempt on the ADC leaders
According to Owie, he was a keynote speaker at the event, which included former Governor John Odigie-Oyegun and Peter Obi, when security alerted the leadership of APC thugs mobilizing to attack the venue, prompting the meeting to be adjourned for safety reasons.
He accused the APC of orchestrating violence against the ADC and fabricating claims to blame the party.
“This marks the third instance where APC-aligned elements have orchestrated violence against the ADC, only to employ a “victim-blaming” strategy by claiming the ADC attacked its own members. Senator Owie views this as a desperate gaslighting tactic intended to destabilize the growing momentum of the ADC in Edo State.”
Owie, a seasoned politician with a 40-year legacy, denied involvement in the violence, saying he’d never tarnish his reputation with thuggery.
“To suggest I would sponsor an attack on a gathering where my own brother, Chief Oyegun, and respected colleagues like Peter Obi were present is not just a lie—it is an insult to the intelligence of the Edo people.”
The ADC calls on security agencies to investigate APC elements behind the disruption, rather than entertaining false claims.
The ADC and Owie remains focused on providing an alternative governance for Edo State, saying the party won’t be intimidated.
