Senator Ned Nwoko has urged the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to protect what he described as the mandate freely given to him by party members in the Delta North Senatorial District, insisting 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 claim in a statement issued through his Media Office in Abuja, where he called on the APC National Working Committee and the party’s leadership to resist any pressure aimed at overturning the outcome of the primary election.
The senator maintained that he won the APC senatorial primary election conducted across Delta North by a wide margin, securing approximately 123,000 votes against the 6,000 votes he said were recorded by Okowa.
According to him, any attempt to overturn the wishes of
party members who participated in the exercise would amount to a disregard for
their democratic rights and could negatively affect the fortunes of the party
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.
Nwoko further claimed that the outcome of the primary
election could be independently verified through extensive video evidence
obtained from the wards where the exercise was conducted.
“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.
The lawmaker urged the APC leadership to ensure that justice
is done and seen to be done by protecting the integrity of the primary election
process and respecting what he described as the mandate freely given to him by
party members across Delta North.
Nwoko also rejected what he described as a “self-imposed and
propagandist declaration of victory” by Okowa, arguing that such a declaration
was contrary to established party procedures.
He recalled that before the primary election, the APC
National Organising Secretary had outlined the official process for the
collation and declaration of results, including ward collation, local
government area collation, constituency collation and final submission to the
party’s National Headquarters.
“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 further argued that the support he received from APC
members reflected their confidence in his legislative performance and his
commitment to advancing the interests of Delta North, particularly his advocacy
for the creation of Anioma State.
He also highlighted his longstanding commitment to the APC,
noting that he joined and worked for the party before the defection of Okowa
and other political actors from the Peoples Democratic Party.
The senator expressed confidence that the APC national
leadership would uphold what he described as the truth and ensure that the
final outcome reflects the choice 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.
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