Omo-Agege Rejects Senate Primary Result After Huge Defeat

WARRI — Former Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege has rejected the result of the APC senatorial primary for Delta Central. He lost to former lawmaker Ede Dafinone by a massive margin. Dafinone scored 116,252 votes. Omo-Agege received 3,643.

Omo-Agege issued a statement hours after the result was declared. He said the exercise was manipulated and does not reflect the true preferences of APC delegates in Delta Central. He pledged to challenge the outcome through all available legal channels.

“What happened today was not a primary election. It was a charade. I won this primary and I have the evidence to prove it,” Omo-Agege said in the statement released on Tuesday evening.

His camp alleges that results were inflated at several local government areas. They claim genuine delegates were replaced with loyalists of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, who backed Dafinone. The APC has not yet responded to the specific allegations.

A Fall From Grace

Omo-Agege served as Deputy Senate President from 2019 to 2023. He ran for governor of Delta State in 2023 under the APC but lost to Oborevwori of the PDP. His defection to the APC and subsequent attempt to return to the Senate was seen as a political comeback bid.

However, the primary result suggests his influence within the APC in Delta State has significantly weakened. Analysts say his loss of the governorship race in 2023 reduced his capacity to mobilise delegates at ward and local government levels.

In addition, Governor Oborevwori, despite being a PDP member, is seen as having significant influence over political dynamics in Delta State. His alignment with Dafinone is widely seen as a factor in the lopsided result.

Pattern of Disputes

Omo-Agege’s rejection of the result fits a broader pattern from the APC primaries. In Edo South, two parallel results were declared, one for Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama and another for Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu. Both claim victory. The APC appeal committee must resolve the dispute.

Meanwhile, in Plateau State, thugs disrupted voting at a primary venue last week. In Rivers State, multiple aspirants were disqualified before the exercise began. INEC has warned parties to resolve all internal disputes before the May 30 deadline.

Omo-Agege’s legal team is preparing a petition to the APC’s appeal committee. If unsuccessful there, they plan to approach the Federal High Court. Political observers say such litigation rarely overturns primary results but can delay the formal candidate filing process.