Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
A high-profile stakeholders' meeting of the All Progressives Congress in Delta Central Senatorial District descended into chaos on Sunday, July 26, 2026, leaving several persons injured, including Governor Sheriff Oborevwori's Senior Special Assistant on Protocol, Mr. Simon Mudi, popularly known as Temple. The incident occurred at the Petroleum Training Institute Conference Centre in Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area, where party leaders had gathered to strategise ahead of the 2027 general elections and endorse President Bola Tinubu, Governor Oborevwori, Senator Ede Dafinone, and other party candidates.
According to eyewitness accounts, the violence allegedly began when Temple confronted and attacked a young man attending the meeting over a previous disagreement. Sources claimed that Temple is a member of the Buccaneer confraternity, while the other individual belongs to the Axe confraternity, though these affiliations could not be independently verified. The confrontation escalated after others alleged to be members of the Axe confraternity joined the fray. Temple was reportedly chased with plastic chairs and bottles before being stabbed multiple times in the head, neck, and back. He sustained serious injuries and was rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment. Plastic chairs, bottles, and other dangerous objects were freely used during the clash. One eyewitness described the scene: "Temple sustained serious injuries to his head, back, and chest during the attack and was bleeding heavily before he was rushed out of the venue for medical attention".
However, other eyewitnesses attributed the violence to longstanding political disagreements rather than a confraternity-related dispute. "What actually happened was that there had been growing political disagreements and unresolved issues between Izeze and Temple for some time. Both camps took advantage of the meeting to test their strength. It became a free-for-all fight between supporters of both sides," an eyewitness said.
Commissioner for Works (Highways and Urban Roads), Comrade Reuben Izeze, who was present at the meeting, denied any involvement. He insisted he was nowhere near the scene when the clash broke out. Speaking with the media, he said, "The fight has nothing to do with me. Temple actually started the fight. He used a chair to attack a young man attending the meeting over a previous disagreement. Unknown to Temple, the young man he attacked was a member of the Axe confraternity, while Temple himself belonged to a rival confraternity. At that point, other members of the Axe confraternity came out in solidarity with their colleague and joined the fight. Plastic chairs and bottles were used on him while he was chased and stabbed all over his body". Izeze further claimed that video footage circulating online showed Temple was more than 300 metres away from the conference hall where he had been seated when the violence occurred.
The meeting was attended by prominent APC leaders and government officials, including the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo; Senator representing Delta Central, Senator Ede Dafinone; Executive Director of Business Development at NEXIM Bank, Stella Okotete; Governor Oborevwori's Senior Political Adviser, Emmanuel Aguariavwodo; Chairman of the Delta State chapter of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, Isaiah Esiovwa; and Delta State Commissioner for Works, Comrade Reuben Izeze.
The Delta State chapter of the APC has strongly refuted reports of violence, describing them as "reckless, false, malicious, and sensational". In a statement issued on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, by the State Publicity Secretary, Valentine Onojeghuo, the party insisted that the meeting was conducted peacefully from start to finish without any incident of violence or disruption. "At no point did the meeting degenerate into the chaos, free-for-all or mass exodus falsely reported," the statement added.
Addressing the video footage cited in reports, the party argued that the scenes did not originate from the main conference hall where the stakeholders' meeting was held. "It is particularly instructive to state that the scenes contained in the video relied upon by the reporter did not emanate from the main Conference Hall, which was the venue of the hugely successful stakeholders' meeting, but from a distant location far removed from it, within the expansive PTI Conference Centre," the statement said. The party accused The Guardian newspaper, which first reported the incident, of abandoning basic journalistic principles and demanded an immediate retraction and apology within seven days.
The incident has generated significant public discussion about internal party cohesion and the conduct of political gatherings in the state. Stakeholders have called for a thorough investigation to establish the facts surrounding the disruption and ensure that anyone found responsible for any unlawful conduct is held accountable. As of the time of this report, the Delta State Government and the Nigeria Police Force had not issued detailed official accounts of the incident. The APC, however, remains focused on building support across the state, working with Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and advancing President Bola Tinubu's Renewed Hope Agenda.
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