Delta North Senate Seat: Okowa and Ned Nwoko Locked in Heated Contest

Speculation is rife that Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, the immediate past governor of Delta State, may throw his hat into the ring to contest the Delta North Senatorial District position in the 2027 general elections, setting the stage for a potentially epic battle with incumbent Senator Ned Nwoko.

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Both Okowa and Nwoko, now members of the All Progressives Congress, have a history of competing for the senatorial seat, having previously clashed in 2011 as candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party and the Democratic Peoples Party, respectively, with Okowa emerging victorious.

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Okowa went on to represent the Senatorial District at the National Assembly from 2011 to 2015, before being succeeded by the late Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, who served from 2015 to 2023.

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Nwoko, on the other hand, had an unsuccessful attempt at the seat in 2019, losing the PDP senatorial primaries to Peter Nwaoboshi, but ultimately won the seat in the 2023 polls with the support of Okowa, who was then the Vice Presidential candidate of the PDP.

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The Senatorial district is now bracing for a potentially contentious election in 2027, with Okowa and Nwoko currently not on the best of terms, and rumors swirling that Okowa may be nursing senatorial ambitions or backing a candidate to run under the PDP.

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Okowa's influence in the PDP's structure in Delta North was significant, but Nwoko, sensing a tough battle ahead, quit the PDP for the APC in January 2025, citing deep divisions and factionalization within the PDP.

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However, just a few months later, Nwoko and Okowa found themselves in the same party again, as Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and other key PDP stakeholders in the state defected to the APC on April 28, 2025.

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Although Okowa has not officially declared his intention to contest the senatorial seat, a series of endorsements from various groups in the district suggest he may be gearing up for a run, and he has not indicated any willingness to support Nwoko's re-election bid in 2027.

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With the APC's ward, local government, and state congresses concluded, and the party's national convention underway, attention will soon turn to party primaries, where Okowa's reputation as a shrewd political tactician and his close ties with Governor Oborevwori and other stakeholders may give him an edge.

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According to political observer Gabriel Osekene, the APC primary between Okowa and Nwoko will be a "fight to finish" between two titans, but he believes Okowa's strong grassroots movement in Delta North may give him the upper hand.

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However, Osekene also notes that Nwoko has the capacity to spring surprises, and his popularity, particularly among those championing the creation of the Anioma State, should not be underestimated.

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Nwoko's political experience, including his time as a member of the House of Representatives from 1999 to 2003, and his connections in the legal profession and the presidency, make him a formidable opponent who should not be written off.

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The party's primaries will be determined by party members or consensus, and if a consensus is reached, it may be challenging for either Okowa or Nwoko to step down for the other, setting the stage for a intense contest.

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The outcome of the senatorial race in Delta North remains uncertain, but one thing is clear: the district is shaping up to be a potential battlefield in the 2027 elections.