ABUJA, Nigeria — Senator Ned Nwoko has publicly accused the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) of deception, claiming he was explicitly promised an automatic return ticket to the Senate before defecting to the ruling party.
The lawmaker’s outburst follows his crushing defeat in the internal party primaries, exposing deep fractures within the Delta State chapter of the APC ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The Broken Agreement
Speaking during a live television interview, the representative for Delta North Senatorial District expressed deep frustration over how he was treated by party administrators.
“I certainly was told before I came into the party that there would be an automatic ticket for me,” Nwoko stated. “Why would I just leave my previous platform like that without making sure I have a secure ride? That promise was broken basically because it wasn’t an automatic ticket—you had to compete for it.”
Nwoko revealed that the initial integration guarantees, which included power-sharing arrangements and restructuring the state executive committee, vanished following the exit of former APC National Chairman Abdullahi Ganduje.
The Primary Election Dispute
The controversy reached a boiling point after the APC returning officer declared former Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa the winner of the May 18 primary election. According to the announced results, Okowa polled 113,309 votes, while Nwoko was allocated just 2,612 votes.
Nwoko’s legal team has fiercely rejected the outcome, labeling the exercise a “theatre of manipulation, intimidation, and vote-buying.”
The senator claims his camp possesses video evidence and ward-level sheets proving he won overwhelmingly across 98 wards in the district. He maintains that the figures paraded by the party were fabricated before election day.
Strategic Regrets and Future Outlook
Nwoko’s defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in January 2025 was highly publicized, with the lawmaker previously stating he joined the APC because President Bola Tinubu promised support for the long-sought creation of Anioma State.
With the primary election appeal panel now reviewing his petition, Nwoko’s camp has warned the APC that attempting to sideline its most prominent mobilizer in Delta North is a direct recipe for disaster that could cost the ruling party the entire state.
