Former Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa defeats Ned Nwoko to emerge as the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial candidate for Delta North after securing a massive 113,309 votes against the senator’s 2,612 votes in the party’s direct primaries.
Okowa defeated the incumbent senator, Ned Nwoko, during the APC primaries conducted across wards in the nine local government areas of the Delta North Senatorial District.
Chairman of the Delta State National Assembly Primary Election Committee, Eugene Odo, officially announced the result, declaring that Okowa polled the highest number of votes in the contest.
“Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, having secured the highest number of votes in the APC senatorial primaries in Delta North, is hereby declared the winner of the election,” Odo stated.
In Delta Central, incumbent Senator Ede Dafinone also retained the APC senatorial ticket after defeating former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege.
Dafinone secured 116,252 votes, while Omo-Agege scored 3,643 votes in the keenly contested primary election.
Secretary of the Delta State National Assembly Primary Election Committee and returning officer, Barrister Nusa Amagbor, confirmed the outcome, stating that Dafinone satisfied all party requirements and emerged victorious with the highest valid votes cast.
Meanwhile, supporters of Ned Nwoko have reacted to the outcome, insisting that the process should reflect the will of party members. The group alleged that Ifeanyi Okowa defeats Ned Nwoko through what they described as a coordinated effort to prevent the senator’s reelection bid.
In a statement issued by the Director General of the Nwoko Campaign Group, Ekene Kerry, the group accused unnamed stakeholders of attempting to hijack the Delta North APC primary in favour of Okowa.
