Following competing claims of victory by former Deputy Senate President Senator Ovie Omo-Agege and fellow candidate Olorogun Onome Bernice Dema, the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) Delta Central Senatorial primaries have become controversial.
Omo-Agege’s media adviser, Sunny Areh, told newsmen yesterday that the former deputy senate president won the party’s primary election.
“Senator Ovie Omo-Agege,” Areh said in a Whatsapp message reply to a question asking who won the Senate ticket for NDC.
Dema’s team, however, denied the assertion, maintaining that she prevailed in the direct primary exercise.
Joseph Edegware, Dema’s media assistant, stated over the phone that before Omo-Agege joined the NDC on Thursday, the party had first decided on a consensus arrangement.
According to him, the development prompted the party to conduct direct primaries across the district.
He stated that Omo-Agege received just over 3,853 votes, whereas Dema received over 4,973 votes.
The aide further stated that officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) witnessed the exercise and that the results had already been forwarded to the party’s national leadership in Abuja.
He also dismissed reports that Dema had stepped down for Omo-Agege, disclosing that both aspirants were in Abuja meeting with party leaders over the dispute.
“The outcome of the meeting will bring clarity to the issue,” he said.
The controversy deepened after two contradictory statements surfaced in Dema’s name.
In one statement signed by her media aide, Dema described reports of her withdrawal from the race as “false and misleading,” maintaining that she remained the duly elected NDC candidate for Delta Central.
The statement accused unnamed political actors of attempting to undermine the democratic wishes of party members and vowed that she would remain on the ballot in 2027.
But in a dramatic twist, another statement purportedly issued by Dema disowned the earlier release and declared support for Omo-Agege.
In the statement, Dema claimed she had “lost gallantly and honourably” to Omo-Agege in the primary and pledged her full support to his candidacy. She further alleged that the earlier statement was fabricated and accused political opponents of attempting to create confusion within the party.
Amid the conflicting narratives, results circulated by Dema’s supporters showed her leading the contest with over 1,000 votes, while results from Ethiope East Local Government Area were reportedly cancelled.
As of press time, the NDC national leadership had yet to officially declare a winner.
Efforts to speak with the state chairman of the party, Richmond Doubra, also failed as call put across to his phone line rang out. He was yet to respond to an SMS seeking clarifications as of press time.
Meanwhile, Deaconess Chris Iyowaye is the governorship candidate for the NDC in Delta state.
