The Delta State Commissioner for Works (Rural Roads) and Public Information, Charles Aniagwu, has defended the conduct of the All Progressives Congress Delta North Senatorial primary, insisting that Senator Ned Nwoko lost the contest because he lacked strong grassroots support within the party.
Speaking during an appearance on Channels Television’s Morning Brief on Thursday, Aniagwu dismissed allegations of irregularities in the exercise, maintaining that the primary was conducted in line with APC guidelines and reflected the preference of party members across the district.
According to him, former Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, secured 113,309 votes across the nine local government areas of Delta North, while Nwoko polled 2,612 votes.
Aniagwu argued that party primaries differ from general elections because internal contests are largely influenced by loyalty, personal relationships and sustained grassroots engagement among party members.
“There is a huge difference between internal party elections and general elections because sentiments are different. This election was won and lost based on party dynamics and grassroots relationships,” he said.
The commissioner accused Nwoko of failing to build strong ties with party stakeholders before the primary, alleging that the senator did not adequately engage ward leaders, state officials, commissioners, local government chairmen and other APC stakeholders across Delta North.
He said, “We have 98 wards in Delta North and he never reached out to leaders across those wards. He never informed people that he intended to contest.”
Aniagwu further claimed that the senator lacked a formidable political structure within the APC, adding that his poor relationship with party members contributed significantly to his defeat at the poll.
The commissioner also revisited Nwoko’s emergence as senator in 2023, alleging that the lawmaker benefitted from political backing facilitated by Okowa and other party leaders at the time.
“Ned Nwoko went to the Senate on scholarship,” Aniagwu alleged, insisting that party leaders mobilised support for him during the election.
Defending the credibility of the exercise, Aniagwu said party officials supervised the primary using the Option A4 system, where members openly queued behind their preferred candidates.
He rejected claims that the results were manipulated or announced outside the state, describing the process as transparent and credible.
“What happened was a transparent process where party members openly aligned with candidates of their choice,” he added.
Providing figures on party membership strength across the state, Aniagwu said Delta Central accounts for 168,860 registered APC members, representing 36.5 per cent of the party’s membership in the state, while Delta North has 159,218 members and Delta South 128,144 members.
He added that Delta served as the pilot state for the APC’s electronic membership registration initiative, which he said boosted the party’s membership base significantly.
The commissioner maintained that emotional connections and consistent interaction with party faithful often play decisive roles during internal party contests.
“In party primaries, people look at who relates with them, attends their events and stays connected with them. Those emotional attachments matter,” he said.
Aniagwu’s comments come amid continued reactions trailing the APC Delta North Senatorial primary and complaints raised by Nwoko over the conduct of the exercise.
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