ASABA/Nigeria: Delta State Commissioner for Works (Rural Roads) and Public Information, Charles Aniagwu, has defended the conduct of the All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries in Delta State, insisting that the outcome reflected the true wishes of party members and signalled the triumph of grassroots politics over what he described as “Abuja coronation politics.”
Aniagwu said aspirants who lost the contests failed not because of manipulation or imposition, but due to weak grassroots engagement and overreliance on political influence outside the state.
Speaking on News Central Television on Tuesday, the commissioner dismissed allegations of irregularities raised by some aggrieved aspirants, describing several of them as “pretenders” who entered the contest without adequate preparation or connection with party structures.
According to him, the primaries across the 10 federal constituencies and three senatorial districts in Delta State were conducted openly through the Option A4 voting system, making manipulation practically impossible.
Aniagwu particularly faulted complaints from an aspirant in the Ndokwa/Ukwuani Federal Constituency, arguing that the contestant lacked grassroots presence and failed to engage critical stakeholders before the election.
He maintained that the member representing the constituency in the House of Representatives, Nnamdi Ezechi, had built extensive support across the 30 wards in the constituency through sustained interaction and political engagement.
“Internal party elections are family affairs. You must know your party members, connect with leaders and engage the grassroots. You cannot sit in Abuja and expect people to vote for you on election day,” Aniagwu stated.
The commissioner praised Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, for ensuring a level playing field during the primaries, noting that eventual winners emerged based on their relationships and consultations with party members.
He also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the APC national leadership for allowing the democratic process to prevail without interference.
Aniagwu argued that several defeated aspirants depended excessively on political connections in Abuja instead of investing in grassroots mobilisation.
“Some of them thought Abuja would simply coronate them. Unfortunately, the coronation venue became the wards where party members queued openly to vote,” he said.
Referencing the Delta North Senatorial primary, Aniagwu said the support recorded by former governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, against Senator Ned Nwoko reflected the mood of party members across the district.
He claimed that in some wards, the level of support for Okowa discouraged opponents from participating in the voting process.
The commissioner also dismissed claims that party officials were directed not to announce results at collation centres, insisting that declarations were transparently made across the country.
According to him, the APC only constituted appeal panels to entertain grievances and never issued directives preventing returning officers from announcing results.
Aniagwu further cited the victories of Ede Dafinone and Joel-Onowakpo Thomas as evidence that sustained consultations, empowerment programmes and grassroots mobilisation remained decisive factors in electoral success.
He maintained that the Delta APC primaries had demonstrated that political relevance could no longer be sustained through influence from Abuja alone without genuine grassroots support.
