Senator Ned Nwoko has opened up on his experience in the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election, raising fresh concerns about internal party agreements and what he described as unmet assurances made before he joined the party.
In an interview on Prime Time, the Delta North senator said his decision to join the APC was influenced by promises made by key party figures at the time, especially regarding inclusion in leadership structure and political arrangements within the party.
He explained that there were expectations of a broader restructuring within the party after he and others defected, including possible changes in state leadership and political accommodation for new entrants.
In his words, “I, myself, and others were promised that there would be discussions on the new structure of the party, and we believed that there would be some… power sharing formula. We were told, for example, that the state executive would be dissolved and there would be nominations to enable the old APC to get a foothold into the government, but that was never done.”
Nwoko further stated that he was allegedly assured of an automatic ticket before joining the party, a promise he said influenced his decision to move from his previous political platform. However, he said the process eventually changed, forcing him into a competitive primary instead.
“I certainly was told before I came into the party that there would be automatic ticket for me, and why would I just leave like that without making sure that I have a secure ride?”
He also spoke strongly about the outcome of the primaries, insisting that he had strong support across several wards and believed the result did not reflect what happened on the ground.
“We won in 98 wards. All that Ifeanyi Okowa did was just to throw evidence of one ward where there was an issue.”
