Senator Ned Nwoko has expressed disappointment following his defeat in the All Progressives Congress (APC) Delta North senatorial primary, alleging that he was earlier promised an automatic ticket before joining the party.
The primary election was won by former Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, who polled 113,309 votes. Nwoko reportedly scored 2,612 votes, while Maryam Ali polled 40 votes.
Nwoko Rejects Result, Alleges Irregularities
Reacting to the outcome, Nwoko dismissed the result, insisting that the process was flawed and did not reflect internal agreements he believed were in place before he joined the APC.
He claimed there were assurances of a power-sharing arrangement within the party structure, including the dissolution of the state executive and strategic nominations to accommodate new entrants.
According to him, those agreements were not honoured.
‘I Was Promised Automatic Ticket’ — Nwoko
Speaking during an interview on Prime Time, the senator alleged that he was promised an automatic ticket prior to joining the APC.
“I certainly was told before I came into the party that there would be automatic ticket for me,” he said.
He added that he would not have left his previous political platform without assurances of a secured political position.
Nwoko also alleged that the party leadership later required him to participate in a competitive primary, contrary to earlier expectations.
Claims of Victory in Wards
Despite the official results, the senator maintained that he had evidence of strong performance across multiple wards.
“We won in 98 wards,” he claimed, insisting that discrepancies existed in the collation process.
He further argued that the result announced in favour of Okowa did not reflect the true outcome of the exercise.
Political Tensions Deepen in Delta APC
The development highlights growing tensions within the APC in Delta State as key political figures continue to dispute the conduct and outcome of internal primaries ahead of future elections.
“I was promised automatic ticket before I joined APC but they betrayed me.” — Senator Ned Nwoko pic.twitter.com/S6UPsm8AyN
— Thεό Abu (@TheoAbuAgada) May 26, 2026


