APC Primary Crisis in Delta: Ned Nwoko Rejects Okowa’s Victory, Heads to Court Over Alleged Irregularities.

The internal tensions within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State have escalated following strong allegations by Senator Ned Nwoko, who has rejected the outcome of the party’s senatorial primary that declared former Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, as the winner.

Nwoko has vowed to challenge the result in court, insisting that available ward-level evidence, including videos and collated results, show that he was the rightful winner of the exercise. The dispute has now thrown the party’s internal democratic process into controversy, raising fresh questions about transparency, procedure, and fairness in party primaries.

“I Won the Primary” – Nwoko Insists

Speaking in an interview with Arise Television, the senator dismissed the official declaration of Okowa as the APC senatorial candidate, alleging that the announced figures did not reflect the actual votes cast across the wards.

According to him, his camp monitored the process closely and complied with instructions issued during the exercise, only to later discover what he described as inconsistencies in the final results.

He explained that midway through the primary election, party officials reportedly instructed that no results should be announced at ward level, but instead be collated and transmitted to the national headquarters in Abuja.

“Halfway through the primary, we got a message… that no results should be announced at the ward level — that they should be collected and then announced later at the national headquarters in Abuja,” Nwoko said.

He added that his team complied in good faith, expecting a transparent collation process at the national level.

Allegations of Discrepancies in Ward Results

Nwoko, however, raised concerns after a video emerged allegedly showing the announcement of results from one ward in Ika North East Local Government Area.

He questioned the credibility of the figures presented, arguing that what was shown in the footage did not match the official vote count later announced.

“It was just one video, showing three people in a line, and then the rest that were probably not more than 500. Yet in the result, they said there were 5,000,” he alleged.

The senator maintained that only limited evidence from the wards had been made public and challenged party officials to release full documentation and video recordings from all polling units involved in the exercise.

“That video you saw… was just one ward out of 98 wards. Maybe they should show us other videos. They must show us the figures,” he insisted.

Move to Court and Refusal to Accept Outcome

Reaffirming his position, Nwoko declared that he would not accept any outcome he believes does not reflect the true mandate of party members.

He confirmed that legal action would be taken to challenge the result, insisting that he possesses documentary and video evidence from across the wards.

“We will head towards litigation,” he said. “I have the mandate by the people.”

Despite his rejection of the result, the senator stressed that he remains committed to the APC and has no intention of working against the party.

“I’m not going to say I’m going to work against the party; I’m going to work for the party,” he added.

He also expressed confidence that President Bola Tinubu would intervene to resolve the crisis within the party structure.

Claims of Internal Party Division in Delta APC

Beyond the immediate dispute over the senatorial primary, Nwoko used the opportunity to highlight what he described as deeper structural problems within the APC in Delta State.

He alleged that long-standing members of the party had been sidelined following the influx of former members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) into the APC.

According to him, this shift in internal power dynamics has created tension and weakened cohesion within the party at the state level.

“The legacy APC members have been shoved aside by the new PDP guys that came into the party. They control the party. There are fundamental problems in Delta,” he said.

He further claimed that earlier assurances about restructuring party leadership in the state were never implemented, despite promises made during internal negotiations.

A Disputed Primary With Wider Political Implications

The controversy surrounding the Delta APC senatorial primary now reflects broader concerns over internal democracy, candidate selection processes, and factional struggles within political parties.

While Okowa’s camp has yet to publicly respond in detail to the latest allegations, the situation has already sparked intense political debate across the state, with supporters on both sides trading accusations over legitimacy and procedure.

For now, the matter appears set for a legal showdown, as Nwoko prepares to test the outcome of the primary in court, insisting that the true will of party members must prevail over what he describes as a flawed collation process.

As the dispute unfolds, the APC in Delta State faces renewed pressure to manage internal divisions and restore confidence among its members ahead of future elections.