- Safiu Kehinde
Senator representing Delta North Senatorial District, Ned Nwoko, has lost his re-election bid as former governor of the state, Ifeanyi Okowa, emerged winner of the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial primary election at the district.
Okowa polled 113,309 votes to defeat Nwoko, who garnered 2,612 votes, while Mariam Ali, the third aspirant, secured 40 votes.
The victory of the former Delta governor implied that Nwoko will not be returning to the red chamber by 2027 as Okowa will be representing the party on the ballot.
Announcing the results after the election, the returning officer for Delta North, Eugene Odo, declared that Okowa had fulfilled all party requirements and secured the highest number of lawful votes cast, thereby emerging winner of the senatorial primary.
In a different twist at Delta Central Senatorial District, the incumbent lawmaker, Ede Dafinone, defeated former Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege, by a wide margin.
Announcing the Delta Central results, Secretary of the APC National Assembly Primary Committee, Barrister Nusa Amagbor, disclosed that Dafinone scored 116,252 votes, while Omo-Agege polled 3,643 votes.
Amagbor commended party members and stakeholders for maintaining peace throughout the exercise, noting that the direct primary method had consistently been adopted for APC elections in Delta State.
“Having satisfied all the requirements of our great party and having secured the highest number of valid votes cast in this primary, Senator Ede Dafinone is hereby declared the winner of the Delta Central Senatorial District primary election,” he declared.
Meanwhile, in Delta South Senatorial District, incumbent senator, Joel-Onowakpo Thomas, was reportedly leading in six out of the eight local government areas as collation continued.