Delta North Senator, Ned Nwoko, has rejected the outcome of the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial primary election held on May 18, 2026, insisting he overwhelmingly won the contest against former Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa.
He stated this at a news conference in Abuja
Speaking through his legal adviser, Dr. Chris Okobah, Nwoko described the exercise as deeply flawed and lacking the basic standards of credibility, transparency, and fairness expected in a democratic process.
According to Nwoko, figures compiled by Nwoko’s team showed that the senator secured about 123,000 votes across the district, while Okowa allegedly polled only about 5,000 votes.
He claimed the team arrived at the figures using ward-level records, agents’ reports, and video evidence gathered from all 98 wards in the senatorial district.
The Nwoko camp further alleged that the process was compromised long before election day, accusing powerful interests within the state of taking control of the electoral machinery and isolating members of the primary election panel in government facilities.
According to the allegations, many of the returning officers and officials deployed for the exercise were individuals allegedly linked to the Delta State Government, including political appointees and advisers.
Senator Nwoko also claimed that several electoral officials failed to appear at designated venues after witnessing the massive turnout of Nwoko’s supporters.
“They did not expect the level of participation and support that came out for Senator Ned Nwoko. Once it became clear the people were determined to vote, the process allegedly broke down into confusion, intimidation, and disruption,” he said.
The senator’s camp alleged that there was no proper accreditation, transparent voting process, genuine counting, or credible collation of results during the exercise.
It further accused some party officials of vote buying and inducement of delegates, insisting that the results eventually announced did not reflect the true outcome of the primary.
Nwoko questioned the political justification for allowing former PDP leaders who allegedly worked against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu during the 2023 elections to now dominate the APC structure in Delta State.
He warned that the recent wave of defections into the APC could create internal divisions capable of weakening the party’s existing structure in the state if not properly managed.
The Nwoko camp disclosed that it had formally petitioned the APC appeal panel and would first pursue all available internal party mechanisms before considering any legal action.
“We believe in due process and internal democratic procedures. Our position is that justice must first be sought within the structures of the party,” Okobah stated.
The senator’s supporters are now demanding a comprehensive review of the primary election, cancellation of what they described as manipulated results, and sanctions against individuals allegedly involved in compromising the process.
