Senator Ned Nwoko has launched a scathing attack on the All Progressives Congress (APC), alleging betrayal over a broken promise of an automatic ticket. The embattled lawmaker, who represents Delta North in the Senate, defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC in early 2025, citing irreconcilable factions and deep-seated divisions within the PDP.
Nwoko's Allegations
In a recent interview on Arise TV, Nwoko claimed that before crossing the aisle, he held a strategic meeting with the then-National Chairman of the APC, Abdullahi Ganduje. According to Nwoko, Ganduje offered him an automatic ticket in exchange for joining the ruling party. Relying on this assurance, he made the high-profile switch.
However, Nwoko expressed shock when the political dynamics shifted. He alleged that former Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa—who defected to the APC months after Nwoko—was given preferential treatment and ultimately clinched the party's senatorial ticket.
Primary Election Outcome
During the recent APC Delta North Primary, Okowa won by a massive landslide, polling 113,309 votes against Nwoko’s 2,612 votes. Rejecting the outcome, Nwoko has firmly maintained that the electoral process was heavily manipulated. He insists that the party leadership failed to honor their word, leaving him feeling betrayed and disenfranchised.
Nwoko's lamentations have sparked reactions from political observers, who question the integrity of internal party democracy within the APC. The senator has vowed to challenge the result, though his next steps remain unclear.
