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Delta State Commissioner for Works, Rural Roads and Public Information, Charles Aniagwu, has attributed Senator Ned Nwoko’s defeat in the All Progressives Congress primary (APC) election to what he described as the senator’s weak grassroots presence and poor engagement with party stakeholders across Delta North.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television, Aniagwu said former Delta State governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, secured overwhelming support because he invested time in consultations across the senatorial district, unlike Nwoko whom he accused of remaining detached from local political structures.
According to him, the primary contest exposed the sharp difference between party elections and general elections, noting that internal party contests depend heavily on longstanding relationships and direct mobilisation.
“Okowa actually polled 113,309 votes as against Ned Nwoko’s 2,612 votes. There is a very huge difference between party primaries and general elections because the sentiments are different,” Aniagwu said.
He alleged that Nwoko failed to build ties with political leaders across the 98 wards that make up Delta North’s nine local government areas, claiming the senator neither informed nor canvassed support from key stakeholders ahead of the exercise.
Aniagwu further accused the senator of neglecting traditional institutions in the district, saying Nwoko had not maintained meaningful contact with traditional rulers or ward leaders since his election into the Senate nearly three years ago.
“Ned Nwoko was nowhere in any of the wards. He never reached out to leaders, not even in his own ward,” he said.
The commissioner also claimed that the senator did not engage commissioners, local government chairmen, House of Assembly members and other political appointees before the primary election.
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Using himself as an example, Aniagwu said he was neither contacted nor informed of Nwoko’s intention to contest, arguing that such lack of consultation weakened the senator’s support base within the party.
He also pointed to tensions within Nwoko’s community, alleging that the lawmaker had longstanding disagreements with local stakeholders and influential figures in his area.
By contrast, Aniagwu said Okowa ran an intensive consultation campaign, moving across the district’s nine local government areas and maintaining close contact with party leaders and political appointees.
“When we were preparing for the primaries, Okowa was busy crisscrossing the district and interfacing with leaders across the board, while Ned Nwoko was largely absent,” he stated.
Aniagwu equally dismissed suggestions that the crowd seen around Nwoko during the exercise reflected electoral strength, alleging that many of those present were students brought from the senator’s sports university community.
He maintained that the primary process followed party guidelines, insisting that officials assigned to supervise the exercise properly counted accredited participants.
The APC primary outcome has continued to stir political debate in Delta State, with supporters of both camps weighing the implications of the contest ahead of the 2027 political season.
