The All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial primary elections in Delta State produced major political upsets on Monday as Senator Joel-Onowakpo Thomas secured victory in Delta South, Ede Dafinone defeated former Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege in Delta Central, while former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa overwhelmed incumbent Senator Ned Nwoko in Delta North.
Key Highlights
•Senator Joel-Onowakpo Thomas emerged winner of Delta South APC senatorial primary.
•Senator Ede Dafinone defeated former Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege in Delta Central APC primary.
•Former Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa defeated Senator Ned Nwoko in Delta North.
•APC conducted the primaries through the direct primary Option A4 system.
•Party officials described the exercise as peaceful, transparent, and credible.
•INEC officials monitored the primaries across the three senatorial districts.
The Delta Central contest attracted the most attention as incumbent Senator Ede Dafinone recorded a landslide victory over Omo-Agege, polling 116,252 votes against the former Deputy Senate President’s 3,643 votes.
Declaring the result, Secretary of the APC National Assembly Primary Committee, Barrister Nusa Amagbor, said the exercise was conducted peacefully and in line with the party’s electoral guidelines.
According to him, the direct primary system was adopted across Delta State for both Senate and House of Representatives elections.
“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,” Amagbor stated.
In Delta North, former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa defeated Senator Ned Nwoko by a wide margin. Okowa polled 113,309 votes, while Nwoko secured 2,612 votes. Another aspirant, Mariam Ali, received 40 votes.
Returning Officer Eugene Odo officially declared Okowa winner of the Delta North APC senatorial primary after confirming that he secured the highest number of valid votes cast.
In Delta South, incumbent Senator Joel-Onowakpo Thomas defeated Hon. Michael Dieden, popularly known as Ejele, to retain the APC senatorial ticket.
Declaring the result, Returning Officer Dr. Ifeanyi Osuoza announced that Joel-Onowakpo polled 87,805 votes against Dieden’s 30,798 votes.
A breakdown of the Delta South results showed that Joel-Onowakpo won in six out of the eight local government areas in the district.
In Isoko South, Joel-Onowakpo scored 15,057 votes against Ejele’s 31 votes. In Isoko North, he secured 13,134 votes while Ejele polled 855 votes. In Burutu, Joel-Onowakpo recorded 12,733 votes against 310 votes for Ejele.
In Patani, Joel-Onowakpo scored 13,060 votes while Ejele secured 4,182 votes. Bomadi produced 15,011 votes for Joel-Onowakpo and 1,354 votes for Ejele. In Warri South West, Joel-Onowakpo polled 10,636 votes against Ejele’s 1,722 votes.
Warri South delivered 707 votes for Joel-Onowakpo and 14,500 votes for Ejele, while Warri North was the closest contest with Joel-Onowakpo scoring 7,467 votes against Ejele’s 7,867 votes.
The primaries were conducted under the direct primary Option A4 voting system across all wards in the state’s three senatorial districts. Party members turned out in large numbers, while APC officials described the process as orderly and transparent.
INEC officials were also present to monitor the exercise.
Read also:
- Ex-Delta APC Chairman Erue backs Senator Joel-Onowakpo amid smear campaign
- Jagaban Solidarity Movement inaugurates Isoko North Executives, endorses Tinubu, Oborevwori, Joel-Onowakpo, Ukodhiko for second term
- Senator Joel-Onowakpo appreciates Delta South constituents for massive support, reaffirms commitment to development
Reacting after his victory, Senator Dafinone commended party members and called for unity ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“The process of the primaries was transparent, open, free, and fair. Delta Central is a highly political terrain, and I want to thank all those who supported me throughout this exercise,” he said.
Dafinone also extended an olive branch to Omo-Agege, urging APC leaders and supporters to unite for the party’s success in 2027.
“I will also take this opportunity to call on Distinguished Senator Ovie Omo-Agege to join forces with other members of our party so that we can work together for victory in 2027 across all positions,” he added.
