The APC primary for Ute-Okpu Ward 9 in Ika North East Local Government Area of Delta North Senatorial District ended in a landslide on Saturday, with former Delta State Governor Sen. Ifeanyi Okowa polling 6,922 votes against Sen. Ned Nwoko’s 3 votes.
The result, announced at the ward collation center, has been described by party members as “a war in paradise” given the expectation of a closer contest between the two high-profile senators from Delta North.
Okowa, who governed Delta State from 2015 to 2023 and was the PDP vice-presidential candidate in 2023, recently defected to the APC alongside a significant bloc of the state’s PDP structure. His overwhelming performance in Ute-Okpu Ward 9 reflects that movement, with party officials crediting his influence across Ika land and his established grassroots network.
Nwoko, the sitting APC senator for Delta North, represents the constituency in the 10th National Assembly. His three votes in the ward have sparked questions about the depth of his support within his own local government area. Supporters of Nwoko argue that the result reflects the impact of Okowa’s recent entry into the APC and the alignment of ward executives with the former governor’s structure.
The APC primary in Delta North has drawn attention because it pits two of the region’s most recognizable political figures against each other. Both men have deep roots in Ika North East, but their political trajectories diverged in recent years. Okowa’s defection has reshaped the balance of power within the state APC, giving him immediate leverage in party structures across several wards.
Party observers note that ward-level results like this often signal the direction of larger contests, as ward executives and delegates play a decisive role in primary elections. The margin in Ute-Okpu Ward 9 suggests that Okowa’s camp consolidated control of the local party machinery quickly after his defection…See More
