Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Assembly Primaries Appeal Committee for Delta State, Dr Chukwuemeka Ujam, yesterday, disclosed that the committee has received five petitions arising from the party’s recently concluded National Assembly primaries in the state.

Dr Ujam, who spoke with journalists at the APC secretariat in Asaba, said the committee was already reviewing petitions submitted by aggrieved party members and stakeholders over the conduct of the exercises.

He explained that the five-member panel was in Delta State in line with the provisions guiding the conduct of the APC primary elections.

According to him, the committee first arrived in the state on Sunday shortly after the House of Representatives primaries and later reconvened following the senatorial district primaries to continue its assignment.

“We have been receiving petitions, and we will prepare our reports later. The process is still ongoing because the day is not yet over,” he said.

On the outcome of the senatorial primaries in the state, Ujam clarified that the committee’s mandate was strictly limited to examining complaints relating to the conduct of the primaries.

“As we receive the petitions, we are already reviewing them and making our notes on each one. But you do not expect me to divulge what we are doing,” he stated.

MEANWHILE, Senator Ned Nwoko has claimed victory in the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial primary for Delta North, insisting that results from across the district showed he overwhelmingly defeated former Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa.

The claim followed growing controversy over the outcome of the APC primary election, with both camps laying claim to victory ahead of the official declaration by the party’s national leadership.

Stakeholders loyal to Nwoko, in a statement by Emma Eboh, rejected what they described as Okowa’s “self-imposed and propagandist declaration of victory,” arguing that the former governor acted contrary to laid-down party procedures.

According to the stakeholders, the APC had established a clear process for collating and announcing results, including ward collation, local council area collation, designated constituency collation centres, and final submission to the party’s national headquarters.

“The authority to declare results rests solely with the National Committee. What Okowa has done is a clear violation of party rules and an attempt to manipulate perception ahead of due process,” the statement said.

The group maintained that results obtained from several wards across Delta North indicated a commanding lead for Nwoko. In Ward 7, Ndokwa West, Nwoko reportedly polled 1,281 votes against Okowa’s 26 votes, while Ward 9, Abbi in Ndokwa West, allegedly produced 1,505 votes for Nwoko and 420 for Okowa.

At Ward 7, Akumazi, Nwoko was said to have scored 687 votes against Okowa’s five votes, while Ward 13, Ute Ogbeje in Ika North East, reportedly recorded 415 votes for Nwoko and 13 for Okowa. (Guardian)

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