Here is a quick biography run down of the senator.
Senator Omo-Agege Profile
Name: Ovie Omo- Agege ObarisiPosition Held: Deputy Senate President of Nigeria
Incumbent
Assumed office on the 11th of June 2019
Under the President Ahmed Ibrahim Lawan
Preceded by Ike Ekweremadu
Nigerian Senator for Delta
Incumbent
Assumed office on May 2011
Personal Details:
Born: 3rd August, 1963
Age: 55 years
Place of Origin: Urogun, Ughelli North Local government area, Delta State, Nigeria.
Nationality: Nigerian
Political party: All Progressives Congress (APC).
Residence: Abuja, Nigeria.
Alma mater: University of Benin
Profession: He is a Lawyer and a Politician.
Marital Status: Married.
Number of children: Five
Net Worth: $40 million
Life Before Politics
Omo-Agege was born on Saturday, August 3, 1963, in Delta state, three years after Nigeria’s independence. He attended St George Grammar school, Obinomba Obiaruku in Delta state. He graduated from the University of Benin in 1985, he was called to the Nigerian bar a year after in 1986. Omo-Agege was deployed to Kwara State for his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
He completed his NYSC with the Directorate of Criminal investigation and intelligence, Nigerian Police Force, Kwara State Command. Omo-Agege started his career in law by working with PAT OKUPA & Co in Lagos in 1987.
In 1989, he moved to Lagos and co-founded a law firm; Agege & Co. he moved to the US in 1990, where he worked as a foreign associate at Charles O Agege's law office in Los Angeles, California.
Omo-Agege was called to the state bar of California, United State District Court and the United States Supreme Court, Washington, DC. Omo-Agege returned to Nigeria in 1992 to establish Omo-Agege & Associates where he was also Senior Partner. In 1996, he merged his firm Omo-Agege & associates in a partnership resulting in the name Agege & Esin.
Venture Into Politics
Omo-Agege’s political career started when he contested for a representative position at the Delta state House of Representative on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), a contest which he lost.
In 2003, Omo-Agege was appointed as an executive assistant to the then Delta state governor, James Ibori, and later assumed the position of a commissioner for special duties for the same governor. He contested for the Senate in 2015 under the platform of Labour Party (LP), a party which he later left for the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Tuesday, March 7, 2017.
Omo-Agege was elected into his new position in the Senate on Tuesday, June 11, after defeating Senator Ike Ekweremadu of the Peoples Democratic Party with 68 to 37 votes.
It was, however, not a rosy first term for the senator. Being a very vocal senator and an ardent supporter of President Buhari, Mr Omo-Agege landed in trouble several times during his first tenure.
Current Political Position
Omo-Agege was elected into his new position in the Senate on Tuesday, June 11, after defeating Senator Ike Ekweremadu of the Peoples Democratic Party with 68 to 37 votes.
Major Controversies
It was, however, not a rosy first term for the senator. Being a very vocal senator and an ardent supporter of President Buhari, Mr Omo-Agege landed in trouble several times during his first tenure.
In February, he accused his colleagues of working against the president by adopting the amendment to section 25 of the electoral act outlining a change in the sequence of elections.
“For some of you who are familiar with what transpired in the House of Reps, only 36 members were on the floor when this so-called amendment to section 25 of the Electoral Act was introduced.
”The position we took is that 36 people cannot determine the destiny of 360 people in the House (of Reps), which is now being carried over to 109 in the Senate. The least we are owed is for this so-called amendment to be deliberated upon and our rule is clear.
We have 59 senators who are opposed to the inclusion of section 25 of the Electoral Act. If that division were allowed today, 59 senators would have voted to delete that purported amendment to section 25. You don’t make a law targeted at one person. The perception out there is that this section 25 was included to target Mr President,” he said then.
A week after, Kogi senator, Dino Melaye, drew the attention of the Senate to the comments made by Mr Omo-Agege and the matter was referred to the committee on ethics and privileges to investigate.
Although he later apologised, Mr Omo-Agege was suspended for accusing his colleagues of working against President Buhari’s re-election plans in 2019.
The chairman of the committee, Sam Anyanwu, had recommended 181 days of suspension. He said the punishment was imperative because the senator took the issue to court after it was referred to the committee.
The days of suspension were however reduced to 90 after pleas by Senate President Bukola Saraki.
The Federal High Court in Abuja later nullified the lawmaker’s suspension.
In April 2018, a group of thugs allegedly led by Mr Omo-Agege forced their way into the Senate chamber during plenary and carted away the mace.
The lawmaker was later arrested by the police after he returned to the Senate chamber following the theft. He, however, denied leading the hoodlums into the upper chamber and having any involvement in the incident.
For this reason, a joint ad hoc committee was set up to investigate the Senate invasion and mace theft. The committee had summoned the lawmaker, alongside another senator, Ali Ndume, for allegedly aiding the hoodlums.
Although he appeared before the investigative panel, Mr Omo-Agege refused to answer questions.
He told the panel that he had filed a court order restraining the public hearing and that speaking about his role will only amount to subjudice.
The ad hoc committee recommended that the lawmaker be suspended for 180 legislative days. It also called for the immediate prosecution of Mr Omo-Agege and six other suspects on charges of treasonable felony, assault occasioning harm, conspiracy to steal and theft of the mace.
From the moment he was queried for accusing his colleagues of working against the president, it became a battle between the lawmaker and Mr Saraki.
Mr Omo-Agege dismissed the resolution of the ad hoc committee. He also attacked Mr Saraki for his alleged role in the illegal suspension. He also went short of calling Mr Saraki a tyrant over how he ran the chamber.
In another verbal attack, he asked Mr Saraki to resign, or be forced out.
In one of his many responses, Mr Saraki described Mr Omo-Agege as a threat to democracy.
Mr Omo-Agege did not limit his feud to the former Senate president alone. He attacked lawmakers of the opposition party. One of such is Rafiu Ibrahim, whom he had called Saraki’s 'puppet'.
Mr Omo-Agege has now been elected as Deputy Senate President of the ninth assembly and analysts say this may signal a ‘payback time’ if indeed the controversial senator is one who does not forget wrongs done against him.
Ovie Omo- Agege Obarisi Net Worth
Senator Omo-Agege is currently one of the biggest NIgerian politicians.He is estimated to be net worth $40 million.What's more? Thanks a lot for reading along. Don't forget to drop us a comment and share to your friends!
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