Senator Ede Dafinone has clinched the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial ticket for Delta Central, defeating the former Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege, in a major landslide victory.
Concurrently, the former Governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa, secured a definitive win in the Delta North senatorial primary, while the incumbent lawmaker, Senator Joel-Onowakpo Thomas, maintained a dominant advantage in Delta South, according to official declarations.
The internal party elections were conducted utilizing the direct primary (Option A4) format across various wards in the state, an exercise that independent observers and party handlers described as remarkably peaceful and well-attended.
Announcing the final numbers for Delta Central, Nusa Amagbor, the Secretary of the APC National Assembly Primary Committee for Delta State, officially declared the outcome.
“Based on the authenticated results before me; Senator Ede Dafinone scored a total of 116,252 votes, his opponent scored a total of 3,643 votes,” Amagbor stated.
He further noted that the process adhered strictly to internal rules to validate the victory.
“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,” he announced.
The official statement also commended the overall atmosphere of the electoral exercise.
It read, “Party stakeholders in Delta Central, our proceedings here today have been peaceful, and we sincerely thank you all for your cooperation and orderly conduct throughout this exercise.”
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Up north in the Delta North zone, the designated returning officer, Mr. Eugene Odo, announced the landslide figures in favor of the former governor.
He said, “Having satisfied all the requirements of the party and having secured the highest number of valid votes cast in the primary, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa is hereby declared the winner of the Delta North Senatorial District primary election.”
The final tally highlighted a massive gap between the contenders, with Okowa polling an impressive 113,309 votes, while the incumbent, Senator Ned Nwoko, trailed far behind with 2,612 votes, and Mariam Ali brought up the rear with just 40 votes.
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Meanwhile, down in Delta South, party administrators revealed that Senator Joel-Onowakpo Thomas was safely maintaining an early lead in six out of the eight local government areas, with the entire counting process being closely monitored on-site by officials from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Shortly after he was declared the official winner, Senator Dafinone praised the transparency of the entire setup while calling on fellow party faithful to unite.
The senator said, “First of all, let me say that the process of the primaries was conducted in a manner that was transparent, open, free, and fair. Delta Central is, of course, a highly political terrain…”
