By Yahaya Umar and Abdulateef Bamgbose
Former Delta State Governor, Sen. Ifeanyi Okowa, yesterday secured the All Progressives Congress, APC, senatorial ticket for Delta North ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Okowa defeated incumbent senator, Sen. Ned Nwoko, and Dr. Maryam Ali during the party’s primary election conducted across the district’s nine local government areas.
Announcing the results, the APC Returning Officer, Prof. Johnbull Tonukari, declared Okowa winner after polling 113,309 votes in the exercise.
Tonukari said Nwoko secured 2,612 votes, while Ali polled 40 votes in the primary election conducted peacefully across the senatorial district.
He said three aspirants contested the ticket, namely Okowa, Nwoko and Ali, with delegates voting across the nine councils in Delta North.
According to him, Okowa dominated the contest from the opening stages and maintained substantial leads across nearly all the local government areas announced.
“In Ndokwa East LGA, Okowa polled 9,436 votes, while Nwoko secured 79 votes and Ali recorded 15 votes,” Tonukari stated.
He said the former governor also won convincingly in Ika South, polling 9,763 votes against Nwoko’s 19 votes, while Ali failed to secure any vote.
Tonukari added that Okowa maintained his lead in Oshimili North Local Government Area after polling 13,110 votes during the exercise.
He said Nwoko recorded 287 votes in Oshimili North, while Ali again failed to secure any vote in the council area.
“In Ukwuani LGA, Okowa polled 12,167 votes, while Nwoko recorded 105 votes and Ali scored no vote,” the returning officer said.
Tonukari disclosed that Okowa also defeated Nwoko in the incumbent senator’s local government area during the primary election.
He said Okowa polled 5,480 votes in the council, while Nwoko secured 1,343 votes in what party members described as a major upset.
The returning officer further stated that Okowa extended his dominance in Aniocha South and Oshimili South local government areas.
According to him, Okowa secured 10,353 votes in Aniocha South and 11,616 votes in Oshimili South during the primary contest.
He said Nwoko polled 168 votes in Aniocha South and recorded 74 votes in Oshimili South, while Ali failed to make significant impact.
“In Ika North East LGA, Okowa polled 26,185 votes, while Nwoko scored 24 votes and Ali recorded no vote”, Tonukari added.
He also announced that Okowa secured 15,199 votes in Ndokwa West to defeat Nwoko, who polled 513 votes in the council.
Tonukari said Ali again failed to secure any vote in Ndokwa West during the senatorial primary election.
Following the announcement, APC National Working Committee leader in Delta, Mr Eugene Odo, formally declared Okowa winner of the primary election.
Odo said the exercise was peaceful, transparent and credible, adding that party members conducted themselves responsibly throughout the process.
“Sen. Ifeanyi Okowa is hereby declared winner, having scored the highest lawful votes cast in this peaceful and credible primary election”, he said.
Meanwhile, former lawmaker and human rights activist, Shehu Sani, has emerged victorious in the primary election for the Kaduna Central Senatorial District, defeating former Speaker of the Kaduna State House of Assembly, Yusuf Zailani, and another aspirant, Shettima.
The results, announced on yesterday by the Returning Officer, Barrister Sameera Ibrahim, showed that Shehu Sani polled 9,105 votes to secure victory in the keenly contested exercise.
According to the results declared, Zailani garnered 1,021 votes, while Shettima secured 1,253 votes.
The outcome marks a major political comeback for Shehu Sani, who previously represented Kaduna Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly and is widely known for his activism and outspoken views on governance, democracy and social justice.
Political observers described the victory as a significant development ahead of the forthcoming general elections, considering the calibre of contenders involved in the primary contest.
Supporters of the former senator celebrated the outcome shortly after the announcement of the results, expressing confidence in his chances at the general election.
