Senator Ned Nwoko has called on the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress to uphold what he described as the mandate freely given to him by party members in Delta North Senatorial District.
He insisted that he defeated former Delta State governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, in 97 of the 98 wards during the party’s senatorial primary election.
Nwoko made the appeal in a statement released through his Media Office in Abuja, urging the APC National Working Committee and other party leaders to resist any attempt to reverse the outcome of the primary election.
The lawmaker maintained that he secured a decisive victory in the APC senatorial primary conducted across Delta North, claiming he polled about 123,000 votes compared to the 6,000 votes he said were recorded by Okowa.
According to Nwoko, any effort to disregard the outcome of the exercise would undermine the democratic rights of party members and could have adverse consequences for the party’s prospects in the district.
“Subverting the mandate freely given by APC members who turned out in large numbers to participate in the primaries would amount to an abuse of their wishes and sensibilities. Such an action could undermine the confidence of party members and supporters who believe in the democratic process,” he said.
The senator also stated that the result of the primary election could be independently verified through video recordings gathered from the wards where the exercise took place.
“I defeated Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa overwhelmingly in 97 of the 98 wards, and I have video evidence from across the district to support the outcome. Are authenticated video recordings from 98 wards not more credible than figures allegedly concocted by a panel appointed by the governor who is openly working for Okowa?” he queried.
Nwoko urged the APC leadership to ensure fairness by safeguarding the integrity of the primary election process and respecting what he described as the choice freely made by party members throughout Delta North.
He further dismissed what he termed a “self-imposed and propagandist declaration of victory” by Okowa, arguing that such a move was inconsistent with established party procedures.
The senator recalled that before the primary election, the APC National Organising Secretary had outlined the official process for collating and announcing results, including ward, local government, constituency, and final national collation stages.
“The authority to collate, authenticate, and declare the results of the primary election rests solely with the appropriate organs of the APC National Leadership. Any premature declaration of victory is contrary to party guidelines and amounts to an attempt to influence public perception ahead of the completion of due process,” he stated.
Nwoko also argued that the support he received from APC members reflected confidence in his legislative record and commitment to promoting the interests of Delta North, particularly his advocacy for the creation of Anioma State.
He highlighted his long-standing involvement with the APC, noting that he joined and worked for the party before the defection of Okowa and several other politicians from the Peoples Democratic Party.
Expressing confidence in the party’s national leadership, Nwoko said he believed the APC would uphold the truth and ensure that the final outcome reflects the decision made by party members across Delta North.
“The future of our party in Delta North depends on the confidence of our members that their votes count and that their voices will not be silenced by political manipulation. I trust the National Leadership of our great party to uphold the truth, protect the democratic process, and affirm the mandate freely given to me by APC members across Delta North,” he said.
