The Senator Ned Nwoko Campaign Organisation has alleged that the just-concluded Delta North senatorial primary was characterised by “politics of exclusion” aimed at blocking the senator due to his growing political influence in the state.
The group also claimed that former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa was “mere cannon fodder,” insisting that Nwoko’s real political opposition lies within what it described as the entrenched political structure in Delta State.
In a statement signed by the Legal Adviser to the campaign organisation, Dr Amaechi Okoba, the group said supporters believe a deliberate strategy was set up to weaken Nwoko’s rising influence across Delta North.
“Many supporters of Senator Ned Nwoko believe that the political battle against him did not begin during elections but long before then,” the statement read.
They alleged that appointments into state positions became difficult for individuals perceived to be aligned with the senator, describing it as part of efforts to limit his political reach.
The group also pointed to unresolved infrastructure demands in the region, including the Okpai power project and repeated calls for the rehabilitation of the Onicha-Ugbo–Idumuje-Ugboko–Abuja road, claiming they were not given adequate attention.
“Also growing campaign for Anioma State was viewed through a political lens because of concerns that its success could significantly strengthen Senator Ned Nwoko’s legacy and standing in the region,” the statement added.
The organisation noted that Nwoko’s eventual defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) was driven by the belief that a new platform would better support development efforts in Delta North.
It further claimed that since joining the APC, the senator had facilitated interventions across education, healthcare, agriculture, water supply, youth empowerment, road construction, electrification, and community development across the nine local government areas in the district.
The statement argued that political competition should be centred on service delivery and ideas rather than efforts to suppress individual influence.
“Political competition should be about ideas, service, and performance, not the perception that one individual’s growing influence must be restrained at all costs,” Okoba stated.
The campaign organisation maintained that history ultimately judges leaders not by political rivalries but by the impact of their contributions to society.
