APC Primary Crisis Deepens as Ned Nwoko Claims Landslide Victory Over Okowa

A fresh dispute has erupted within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State after Senator insisted that he overwhelmingly defeated former Delta State Governor in the party’s Delta North Senatorial District primary election.

Nwoko, who currently represents Delta North in the Senate, called on the APC national leadership to protect what he described as the mandate freely given to him by party members, warning against any attempt to alter the outcome of the primary.

In a statement issued by his media office in Abuja on Monday, the lawmaker claimed he won in 97 of the 98 wards across the senatorial district, polling about 123,000 votes against approximately 6,000 votes allegedly secured by Okowa.

He urged the party’s National Working Committee and leadership to resist pressure from any quarters seeking to overturn the result of the exercise.

According to Nwoko, subverting the outcome of the primary would undermine the confidence of party members who participated in the democratic process and could negatively affect the APC’s electoral fortunes in Delta North.

“Subverting the mandate freely given by APC members who turned out in large numbers to participate in the primaries would amount to an abuse of their wishes and sensibilities,” he said.

The senator further claimed that extensive video recordings from across the senatorial district support his position and can independently verify the conduct and outcome of the primary election.

Nwoko also questioned the credibility of figures allegedly submitted by a panel he claimed was sympathetic to Okowa, arguing that authenticated video evidence from the wards offered a more reliable account of the exercise.

The lawmaker rejected what he described as a premature declaration of victory by the former governor, insisting that only the APC national leadership has the constitutional authority to collate, authenticate and officially declare the final results of the primary election.

He recalled that before the exercise, the APC National Organising Secretary outlined a process involving ward, local government and constituency-level collation before final submission to the party’s national headquarters.

“The authority to collate, authenticate and declare the results of the primary election rests solely with the appropriate organs of the APC National Leadership,” Nwoko stated.

The senator also linked the support he received from party members to his legislative record and advocacy for the creation of Anioma State, a long-standing demand by many people in Delta North.

He further highlighted his history within the APC, noting that he joined and worked for the party before the recent defection of Okowa and other political actors from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Nwoko expressed confidence that the APC leadership would uphold due process and ensure that the final outcome reflects what he described as the genuine wishes of party members across the senatorial district.

The controversy adds a new dimension to the ongoing political realignments in Delta State following the defection of several prominent PDP figures, including Okowa, to the ruling APC.

As of the time of filing this report, there was no official response from Okowa or the APC national leadership regarding Nwoko’s claims.