Dare Babalola
The All Progressives Congress senatorial primary election in Delta Central descended into controversy on Monday as former Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege, and incumbent Senator Ede Dafinone both claimed victory in the contest.
In a statement issued after the exercise, Omo-Agege expressed gratitude to APC leaders, delegates and members across the district, insisting that results collated from all 85 wards in the eight local government areas showed he won “decisively.”
According to him, the long queues recorded during the direct primary reflected the overwhelming support of party members for his aspiration and commitment to the APC.
“This outcome is a clear endorsement of our mission to strengthen the party and deliver stronger representation at the national level,” he said.
Omo-Agege added that attention would now shift to the general election, where he hoped to secure the Delta Central Senate seat for the APC and mobilise support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The former governorship candidate, however, acknowledged that the APC National Headquarters had yet to make an official declaration, urging party members to remain calm while the collation and announcement process continued.
His claim of victory came hours after APC officials officially declared Dafinone winner of the Delta Central senatorial primary.
Announcing the result, Secretary of the APC National Assembly Primary Committee for Delta State, Nusa Amagbor, said Dafinone polled 116,252 votes, while Omo-Agege scored 3,643 votes.
“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.
Dafinone subsequently described the exercise as transparent, free and fair, while calling on Omo-Agege and other party members to unite ahead of the 2027 general election.
The controversy surrounding the Delta Central contest has further heightened political tension within the Delta APC, especially as other senatorial primaries in the state also produced high-profile outcomes, including the emergence of former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa as winner of the Delta North APC senatorial primary.
