The Federal High Court in Abuja has been told that the purportedly collated and announced results of the Delta South All Progressives Congress (APC) Senatorial primary election conducted on May 18, 2026 was a daylight robbery and a rape of democracy.
A contestant in the primary election, Prince Michael Diden claimed that the purportedly collated results in the Wards and the 8 local government areas of the Senatorial District was not a true reflection of the election.
Prince Diden while testifying in his suit against the declaration of Senator Joel Onowakpo Thomas as winner of the primary election, alleged that both the Senator, APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) colluded and entered falsified results in favour of Joel Onowakpo.
Led in evidence by his lawyer, Bankole Joel Akomolafe, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Diden maintained that he won the primary poll with a wide margin but was robbed during collations.
The politician told Justice Mohammed Garba Umar that he had agents in all the wards the election took place and was supplied with ward to ward results by the agents.
Specifically, the contestant claimed that manipulation of results took place at the Collation centre where results were allegedly falsified by APC officials in favour of the declared winner.
Diden, a former Chairman of the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC), sued Senator Joel Onowakpo accusing him of conspiring with some APC officials to falsify the results of the primary election in his favour.
The politician said to be a former Chairman of Warri North local government of Delta State
urged the Court to do justice to his case by reversing the falsified results and uphold his own results as compiled from wards to local governments.
Under cross examination by Prince Lukman Fagbemi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) who is counsel to Senator Onowakpo, the plaintiff admitted that the election was conducted by APC with procedures put in place to guide the conduct of the election.
When confronted with result prepared by APC Electoral Committee that conducting the primary election,, Diden denied ever seen anything called official results by the party at the end of the election.
He maintained that he was not shown any official results and that his two video recordings on the primary election conduct billed to be watched by the Court will speak volumes and help the Court to arrive at a just conclusion.
Habeeb Lawal who stood for APC and Anosie Obi who represented INEC also cross examined the witness on his evidence in chief.
Earlier, Justice Umar had admitted several exhibits tendered by lawyers for and against the suit.
At the close of the plaintiff’s case, counsel for Senator Onowakpo, Lukman Fagbemi applied for July 20 adjournment to open the defense of his client.
Due to consensus of lawyers, Justice Umar adjourned the matter to July 20.
Diden in the suit marked: FHC/ ABJ/CS/1094/2026 is claiming he secured the highest number of votes cast at the primary election and should be declared candidate of the APC for the Delta South Senatorial District election, slated for January 2027.
He is among others asking the court to declare him winner of the May 18, Direct Primary election conducted for the selection of the APC’s candidate for the next year senatorial election in the district, on grounds that he scored the highest votes cast at the poll.
In the Writ of Summons filed on his behalf by his team of lawyers led by Mr Bankole Joel Akomolafe, SAN, the plaintiff accused the 1st defendant of manipulation and announcement of forged and fake results.
Diden in the statement of claim stated that the National Working Committee of the APC which organised the Primary Election announced the established procedures for the announcement of the result of the said election; that the collation and announcement of results would be conducted exclusively in an official briefing at Abuja after the submission of all results.
He averred that contrary to the instructions, the 1st defendant immediately ran to various media houses to pronounce himself the winner of the APC Direct Primary Election for the Delta South Senatorial District, Delta State thereby misinforming the public and particularly members of the Senatorial District of the Plaintiff.
Diden prayed for an order of the Court directing INEC to accept and receive his name from the APC as the party’s candidate in the 2027 senatorial election in Delta South Senatorial District.
