Commissioner for Works, Rural Roads and Public Information in Delta State, Charles Aniagwu, has explained why Senator Ned Nwoko allegedly lost the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election to former Delta State governor, Ifeanyi Okowa.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television, Aniagwu said Nwoko’s defeat was largely due to what he described as the senator’s lack of political engagement and poor relationship with leaders across Delta North Senatorial District.
According to him, Okowa secured 113,309 votes, while Nwoko polled 2,612 votes during the primary election.
Aniagwu stated that unlike Okowa, who reportedly consulted widely across the district’s nine local government areas and 98 wards, Nwoko allegedly failed to build grassroots support ahead of the exercise.
He claimed that since becoming a senator nearly three years ago, Nwoko had little interaction with political stakeholders, traditional rulers, ward leaders, commissioners, lawmakers and local government chairmen within the district.
Aniagwu further alleged that Nwoko rarely visited traditional institutions in Delta North and did not maintain close ties with ward executives, including leaders within his own ward in Aniocha North Local Government Area.
He also accused the senator of having strained relationships within his community, alleging that several residents had been arrested during his time in office, a development he said affected the senator’s popularity.
The commissioner added that while Okowa actively moved across the district meeting political leaders and party stakeholders, Nwoko allegedly remained in Abuja and failed to properly mobilise support ahead of the primary election.
Aniagwu also dismissed the crowd seen around Nwoko during the exercise, claiming many of them were students brought from the senator’s sports university, insisting they were not part of the official voting queue.
According to him, party officials appointed for the primaries counted accredited voters, and Okowa was visibly queued and counted alongside other party members, unlike Nwoko, whom he said was only surrounded by supporters while addressing the media.
