UGHELLI — The Delta Central Senatorial primary election of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State was overshadowed by protests from one of the aspirants, Prof. Alexander Akpodiete, who rejected the outcome and called for a fresh primary.

Akpodiete, speaking shortly after the exercise, expressed dissatisfaction with the conduct of the primary, alleging that the Option A4 voting process did not accurately reflect the level of support he enjoyed at the venue.

Addressing journalists and supporters, the aspirant said he and his supporters arrived at the venue as early as 8:30 a.m., but claimed the exercise did not commence until later in the day.

According to him, many of his supporters who lined up behind him during the Option A4 process were not reflected in the final count announced by officials.

“We have been here, my people and my supporters, since 8:30 a.m. The officials said they were waiting for electoral materials. When the process eventually started, many of my supporters who queued behind me were not reflected in the count despite my protest,” he said.

Akpodiete said he was disappointed by the outcome of the exercise and vowed to challenge the result through the party’s internal mechanisms.

“We are going to challenge it because we are dissatisfied with the outcome of the process,” he stated.

The aspirant further appealed to the leadership of the party to review the exercise and consider conducting a fresh primary that would be acceptable to all stakeholders.

He also raised concerns about participation criteria in the primary, arguing that only individuals who met the party’s membership requirements should have been eligible to take part in the exercise.

“The party needs to look into the issues raised and ensure that its rules and guidelines are followed,” he said.

Akpodiete warned that unresolved grievances arising from the primary could affect party cohesion ahead of the general election.

Some of his supporters who were present at the venue also expressed concerns about the conduct of the exercise and called on the party leadership to investigate the complaints raised.