Delta APC in great confusion over senatorial primary elections’ results

Delta State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is seen to be in great confusion over the results of the just concluded Senatorial Direct Primary Elections held across the three senatorial districts of the state.

While aspirants who were declared ‘winners’ after the results collation now see themselves as the qualified candidate to fly the party’s senatorial flag in the 2027 general elections, those who were declared ‘losers’ dismissed the results, saying they are waiting for the results that would be declared from Abuja as directed by the party’s headquarters.

From Delta North to Delta Central and Delta South Senatorial Districts, the win ers were announced following the collation of elections’ results by the party’s National Assembly Primary Committee in the state but those declared ‘losers’ on their part claimed they were the real winners that would be declared by Abuja.

Former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa who scored 113,309 votes was declared winner of the Delta North Senatorial District election against Ned Nwoko, a serving senator who scored 2612 votes. Mariam Ali also scored 40. Nwoko said he is the real winner having got 99 percent of the votes across the district.

Ede Dafinone, Serving Senator, Delta Central District was declared winner with 116,252, by the committee which also announced Ovie Omo-Agege score as 3,643 votes across LGAs of the senatorial district. Omo-Agege, a former deputy senate president, in a swift move declared himself the winner of the election based on the results collated from all 85 wards of the destruct.

He said, “In line with the directive of the National Organizing Secretary of the APC, yesterday, we now await the official declaration by the National Headquarters in Abuja”, while thanking party leaders, delegates and supporters, called on members to remain calm and united.

Incumbent Senator Joel-Onowakpo Thomas of Delta South Central, was declared winner having polled 87,805 votes, while Michael Diden (Ejele) scored 30,798 votes but Diden’s supporters have been congratulating him for emerging the winner of the election.

But Charles Aniagwu, the Delta State Commissioner for Works (rural roads) and Public Information, in defense of the results insisted that the exercise were free, fair and reflective of the wishes of party members across the state.

Aniagwu in a television programme Tuesday, dismissed the allegations of manipulation and imposition raised by some aggrieved aspirants, describing them as “pretenders” who failed to prepare for the elections.

The mouthpiece of Delta State Government noted that the National Assembly primary elections which covered the 10 federal constituencies and three senatorial districts in the state, were conducted openly through the Option A4 voting system, making it impossible for results to be manipulated.

He said the APC only established appeal panels for aggrieved aspirants, stressing that no directive was issued stopping returning officers from declaring results.

He dismissed claims that party officials were instructed not to announce results at collation centres, insisting that results were announced transparently across the country. He said that Delta APC primaries proved that political relevance could no longer be sustained through influence from Abuja alone without grassroots support.

Meanwhile, Kenny Okolugbu, a former commissioner who represented Ndokwa Nation in the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC), in a Facebook post, condemned the elections, warning that weak internal democracy could undermine party unity.

He expressed concern over the conduct of direct primaries in several areas. “We must be honest, the direct primaries in many areas have presented us as a laughing stock.