Senator Ned Nwoko has maintained that he emerged victorious in the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial primary election in Delta North, insisting that he defeated former Delta State governor, Ifeanyi Okowa by a wide margin.
Nwoko, who represents Delta North Senatorial District in the National Assembly, called on the national leadership of the APC to uphold what he described as the mandate freely given to him by party members during the primary election.
In a statement issued through his media office, the senator claimed that he secured victory in 97 of the 98 wards across the district during the exercise. He urged the APC National Working Committee (NWC) and other party leaders not to succumb to any pressure aimed at altering the outcome of the primary.
According to Nwoko, the results reflected the overwhelming support he enjoys among party members in the district. He alleged that he polled about 123,000 votes, while Okowa garnered approximately 6,000 votes.
The lawmaker warned that any attempt to overturn the outcome of the election could undermine the confidence of party members and supporters who participated in the democratic process.
He argued that disregarding the wishes of APC members who turned out for the primary election would amount to a betrayal of their trust and could negatively affect the party’s fortunes in Delta North ahead of future elections.
Nwoko further stated that the outcome of the primary could be independently verified through video recordings obtained from the various wards where voting took place.
“I defeated Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa overwhelmingly in 97 out of 98 wards, and there is video evidence from across the district to support the results,” he said.
The senator also questioned the credibility of alternative figures being circulated, insisting that authenticated video evidence from the wards should carry more weight than reports allegedly compiled by individuals with vested interests.
The dispute comes amid growing attention on the outcome of the APC senatorial primary in Delta North, with party stakeholders awaiting the final position of the party leadership on the matter.