Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Senator Ned Nwoko, the incumbent lawmaker representing Delta North Senatorial District, has formally rejected the outcome of the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial primary held on Monday, May 18, 2026, alleging that the process was manipulated by the Delta State Government to favour former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa. In an interview on Arise News on Tuesday, May 19, Nwoko insisted that he was the rightful winner of the primary, claiming to possess ward-by-ward video evidence from all 98 wards in the senatorial district to back his assertion. He accused the state government of conspiring to produce a predetermined outcome and called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene.
The official result declared by the APC Returning Officer, Professor Johnbull Tonukari, handed a landslide victory to former Governor Okowa. According to the figures released on Monday, Okowa secured 113,309 votes, while Nwoko polled 2,612 votes and Dr. Maryam Ali garnered 40 votes. The result was announced as peaceful and transparent, with Okowa dominating in all nine local government areas, including Nwoko's own council area. However, the incumbent senator immediately disputed the outcome, saying his monitoring of the process told a different story. “The APC primaries for Delta North were conducted across 98 wards. I have video evidence from each ward showing that I won the election, and I intend to present it to the party,” Nwoko told Arise News.
Nwoko detailed a chaotic and opaque process. He said that halfway through the exercise, officials informed contestants that no results would be announced at the ward level, and that all figures would be transmitted to Abuja for a national declaration. “We were told the results would be announced at the national level, and we expected the party to adhere to proper procedure,” he stated. To his surprise, he alleged, Okowa was declared the winner based on results from a single ward linked to the former governor. “We were suddenly given a result from a single ward closely associated with the former governor, and that result was utilized as the basis for declaring the winner.” He described the development as an outright manipulation of the electoral process and questioned the credibility of a video showing Okowa being celebrated as the winner. “The video you saw, where Ifeanyi Okowa was announced as winner, just one video from one ward out of 98 wards. Maybe they should show us other videos. They must show us the figures.”
Beyond the vote count, Nwoko alleged that the state government deployed its machinery to intimidate his supporters and compromise officials. He had raised alarm before the primary, saying the panel sent to conduct the exercise was being held hostage and that state appointees were acting as returning officers to write results in favour of Okowa. “The governor of Delta State is colluding with Senator Okowa,” he alleged, insisting that the state government had mobilised to suppress his supporters and pre-determine the outcome.
Stakeholders loyal to Nwoko quickly rallied behind his claims, issuing a statement through his media team rejecting Okowa's declaration. The stakeholders insisted that only the APC National Working Committee had the authority to announce a winner and that the former governor's premature celebration was a violation of party rules. They also cited alleged violence in areas known to support Nwoko. “In Obiaruku, Ukwuani LGA, a party member, Igelige Chukunomnazu, recounted how voters were coerced, counting processes were manipulated and supporters of Nwoko were attacked,” their statement said, adding that an individual named Ernest was stabbed in Aniocha North LGA. Despite these claims, Nwoko downplayed the violence, describing it as isolated and insufficient to change the overall outcome.
The APC National Chairman's Senior Special Assistant on Local Government Affairs, Norbert Sochukwudinma, fired back at Nwoko, accusing the senator of staying away from party activities and expecting victory without engaging the party structure. “Nwoko stayed away from the party and expected victory. Anyone seeking to win an election must engage with party structures, yet he never consulted the nine local government party chairmen or leaders,” Sochukwudinma said. He asserted that only card-carrying APC members voted and that the official result reflected the true outcome. “From the available evidence, Senator Ned Nwoko was clearly defeated, and some of the results circulated online were fabricated and not official.”
The dispute has now been formally submitted to the APC National Assembly Primaries Appeal Committee for Delta State. The committee chairman, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ujam, disclosed on Tuesday that his panel had received five petitions arising from the primaries. While he declined to comment on the specifics, Nwoko's camp confirmed that it had submitted its evidence, including the ward-by-ward video recordings and result sheets, and demanded a full review of all 98 wards.
Nwoko has made it clear that he will not accept the result as declared and will challenge it in court if necessary. “I won’t because I have a mandate,” he said when asked whether he would accept the outcome if the party's national leadership ruled against him. He maintained that the mandate was given by party members, not by the state government, and that the evidence available to him showed a clear majority. “You cannot convince somebody who is innocent to say he is guilty. It is not possible. We won the primary.”
Nwoko’s defection from the PDP to the APC in 2025 was seen as a coup for the ruling party, bringing a sitting senator into its fold. However, the primary result has reopened old wounds. Nwoko alleged that long-standing APC members in Delta State had been sidelined following the influx of PDP defectors, and that promises of inclusion and power-sharing had not been kept. He expressed confidence that President Bola Tinubu, who he had supported early and openly, would intervene to ensure justice. “I’m not going to work against the party; I’m going to work for the party. But I can assure you of this: I’m sure that the President will intervene in this matter.”
The APC now faces a critical test. If it upholds Okowa's victory, it risks alienating a sitting senator and his supporters who could cause trouble for the party in 2027. If it entertains Nwoko's petition and orders a fresh primary or a review of results, it could face accusations of instability and pre-election crisis. For Nwoko, the fight is not yet over. “How could you base your declaration on one ward? There are many other 97 wards. Why don’t you find out what happened in them?” he asked. The answer to that question may determine who carries the APC’s flag in Delta North.
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