Senator Ned Nwoko, representing Delta North in the National Assembly, has alleged that the Delta State government manipulated the APC senatorial primaries. He also claimed he defeated Ifeanyi Okowa in the Delta North senatorial primary.
Speaking with ARISE NEWS on Tuesday, Nwoko expressed dissatisfaction with how the exercise was conducted, saying the process lacked transparency and fairness.
“The process was manipulated from day one. The State Government. It’s something that they conspired to produce results for what they saw, or what they produced,” he alleged.
Nwoko said his camp has ward-by-ward results and video evidence from the primaries, and that the materials have been submitted to the party.
“We have submitted them. Halfway through the primary, we got a message on our phones that no results should be announced at the ward level. That they should be collected and then announced later at the national in Abuja,” he said.
“We thought we’d be law-abiding. And suddenly, we saw some news. We saw only that one video of one of the wards in Ika North East, which is a ward where the major assistant known to everybody that worked with the Governor, they are from that particular village, next to the Governor’s village. It was just one video, showing three people in a line, and then the rest that were probably not more than 500. That’s what I saw in the video. Although in the result, they said there were 5,000.”
Nwoko said the video showing Ifeanyi Okowa being declared winner was from only one ward out of the 98 wards involved. He called on party officials to release results and supporting evidence from the remaining wards.
“I want you to understand something. The video that you saw, where Ifeanyi Okowa was announced as the winner, is just one video from one ward out of 98 wards. Maybe they should show us other videos. They must show us the figures,” he said.
He said he would reject any outcome upheld by the APC national leadership if it contradicts what he described as the genuine mandate of party members at the primaries.
“I wouldn’t accept. Because I have a mandate. I have a mandate by the people,” he said.
On reports of intimidation and violence in areas considered his strongholds, Nwoko described them as isolated incidents that did not affect the overall outcome.
“They were just isolated cases, maybe in about 10 wards out of 98. Not enough to make a difference,” he said.
Nwoko said he left the PDP because he had limited freedom to operate as a senator, alleging interference in projects and decision-making by the state leadership.
“I was in PDP. I got elected as a PDP Senator. But I realized that my people there, the Governor, Okowa himself, didn’t allow me to operate freely.”
He said high voter turnout and video evidence from across wards showed clear support for his candidacy.
“They came out in mass to vote for me. It’s also an indication of who they want. I’m referring to all the videos! I hope that you should also have some videos to show you. As simple as that,” he said.
On the contested results, Nwoko said he expects the President to intervene and review the process. He said he remains committed to the party.
“I’m not going to say I’m 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,” he said.
“We have submitted the results from the 98 wards, with the videos. I’m not worried. I’m not thinking about working against the party, and I wouldn’t do that because of the interest of the people that make up the party, the masses. And of course, I said because also I am confident that the President will intervene in a matter of this nature,” he added.
