APC Senatorial Primary: I’ll go to court, but believe Tinubu will intervene — Nwoko
Nwoko Plans Legal Challenge Over APC Primary Results
Senator Ned Nwoko, a prominent member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), announced his intention to contest the results of the party’s recent senatorial primary in court. Nwoko claims he won the primary, based on evidence he gathered from the wards involved.
In an interview with Arise TV, Nwoko expressed his rejection of the declaration made in favor of former Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, stating that the announced results do not accurately reflect the votes cast.
Nwoko asserted that during the primary, party officials instructed that results should not be announced at the ward level but rather collected and reported at the national headquarters in Abuja.
“We received a message on our phones that no results should be announced at the ward level,” he said. “We complied, believing we were following the rules.” He noted a discrepancy between the turnout depicted in a video from one ward in Ika North East and the official results, which reported much higher numbers.
“The video showed a few people in line, while the official result claimed there were 5,000 votes,” he remarked.
Nwoko called into question the transparency of the results and urged party officials to release evidence from additional wards to support their claims. He emphasized that only one ward’s results were made public and challenged the party to provide documentation from the remaining wards.
“I will not accept any outcome from the APC national leadership if it contradicts what I believe to be the true mandate of party members,” Nwoko stated, indicating that he plans to pursue litigation if necessary.
Despite his grievances, Nwoko affirmed his commitment to the party, expressing confidence that President Bola Tinubu would address the situation. “I am not going to work against the party; I will work for the party,” he said. “I trust that the President will intervene.”
Nwoko disclosed that his camp has submitted results and video evidence from all 98 wards, reinforcing his belief in his electoral success. “We are not concerned with actions that would undermine the party,” he added.
Addressing the internal dynamics of the APC in Delta State, Nwoko criticized the influence of recent defectors from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), claiming they have marginalized longstanding party members.
“The President knows what is happening in Delta,” he said, alleging that legacy APC members have been sidelined. He also referenced promises made by former APC National Chairman John Odigie-Oyegun regarding leadership restructuring that he claims have not been fulfilled.
“I will not concede defeat. I have evidence that shows we won the primary,” he declared, acknowledging some expectations about ward outcomes. “While I did not expect to win every ward, I believe I secured the majority.”
The legal and political implications of Nwoko’s decision remain to be seen as he prepares to challenge the primary results.
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