Aniagwu dismissed claims of manipulation in the exercise, stressing that no “magic counting” influenced the result and that the process reflected the genuine choice of party members.

He explained that political primaries are often shaped by long-standing relationships, loyalty, and grassroots engagement, rather than sudden influence or last-minute campaigning.

Drawing an analogy, he said, “I’m sure two days ago, you saw how many people who are lovers of football, particularly Arsenal fans, celebrating the victory of Arsenal. That tells you emotional attachment to what you believe in.”

According to him, party loyalty in politics operates in a similar way, where members respond to years of engagement, empowerment, and relationship-building.

He noted that over 150,000 APC members in Delta North participated in a locally driven political process that reflected those dynamics.

Nwoko Accused Of Poor Stakeholder Engagement

Aniagwu further alleged that Senator Nwoko failed to properly consult and engage key stakeholders before seeking re-election, unlike Okowa, who remained closely connected to party structures and grassroots supporters in the district.

He recalled that during the 2023 elections, Okowa and other leaders had supported Nwoko’s senatorial ambition, but argued that the senator had since lost much of that goodwill.

Responding to Nwoko’s claims of irregularities, Aniagwu suggested that the senator may have been relying on political backing from influential figures in Abuja rather than securing genuine support within the state.

He said Nwoko appeared to expect automatic endorsement from “the powers that be in Abuja” instead of participating fully in the democratic process.

The commissioner also criticised Nwoko’s performance in the Senate, claiming he had not effectively represented Delta North and was perceived as being more aligned with Abuja than his constituency.

According to him, Okowa’s overwhelming victory margin reflected the clear will of APC members in Delta North.

Official results showed Okowa securing 113,309 votes, while Nwoko polled 2,612 votes, and Mariam Ali received 40 votes.

Nwoko has yet to respond to the allegations.

Okowa, who governed Delta State from 2015 to 2023 under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), joined the APC in April 2025 alongside Governor Sheriff Oborevwori.

Suswam made the remarks during an appearance on Arise Television’s Morning Show, where he dismissed reports suggesting a rift between Governor Alia, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, and other stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue State.

According to Suswam, both Alia and Akume have resolved their differences following a major reconciliation meeting involving APC stakeholders at the Benue State Government House in Makurdi.

“The governor is currently the political father of the state, so everyone must seek his support,” Suswam stated.

“All of us are seeking the governor’s support, and I thank God that I emerged victorious in the nomination process.”

He explained that the reconciliation process was facilitated by President Bola Tinubu, who reportedly encouraged APC leaders in Benue to unite.

“A few weeks ago, under the directive of Mr President, all of us in Benue, including the governor, the SGF, and APC stakeholders, gathered at the Government House for a reconciliation meeting,” he said.

“It was a very successful meeting, and at the end of it, both the governor and the SGF publicly confirmed that reconciliation had taken place.”

Suswam insisted that there is no division within the APC in Benue State.

“As far as I know and I’m concerned, there is no divide in Benue,” he added.

Speaking on his victory at the APC senatorial primary, Suswam also rejected claims that he belongs to any faction within the party in the state.

“I contested and won under the platform of the APC, not under the platform of either the SGF or the governor,” he stated.

Recall that Suswam won the APC senatorial primary for Benue North East (Zone A) after polling 131,083 votes.

He defeated the incumbent senator, Emmanuel Udende, during the keenly contested exercise held across the seven local government areas of Katsina-Ala, Logo, Ukum, Konshisha, Vandeikya, Kwande, and Ushongo.

Kolade-Otitoju made the remarks on Thursday while speaking during a programme on TVC Communications.

He also questioned why Governor Makinde and Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, did not purchase presidential nomination forms from the Taminu Turaki-led PDP faction.

According to him, Makinde is aware that remaining outside the APM could affect his chances of appearing on the ballot.

“Why did Makinde and his Bauchi State counterpart, Bala Mohammed, not obtain presidential forms from the Taminu Turaki-led Peoples Democratic Party?” he queried.

‘No Merger Without INEC’

Kolade-Otitoju further downplayed ongoing discussions about a political merger, insisting that no legitimate merger can happen without the involvement of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

“Forget all the noise about the merger, you can’t do a merger without the regulator, INEC,” he said.

He compared the current political situation with the process that led to the formation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2013, noting that the circumstances were entirely different.

“APC emerged through a merger around 2013, but not in this manner. An individual cannot simply rise after losing out in a political power struggle and then declare that there is a merger,” he added.