A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has heard testimony from former Chairman of the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC), Prince Micheal “Ejele” Diden, as the legal battle over the All Progressives Congress (APC) Delta South Senatorial primary election gathers momentum.
Diden, who is challenging the emergence of the incumbent senator representing Delta South, Senator Joel-Onowakpo Thomas, as the APC candidate for the 2027 National Assembly election, told the court that he legitimately won the party’s May 18, 2026 direct primary but was denied victory through what he described as manipulation of the results.
The plaintiff, while giving evidence before Justice Mohammed Garba Umar, maintained that the primary election was peacefully conducted across the eight local government areas of the senatorial district and that results compiled by his agents showed he secured the highest number of valid votes.
“I had agents across all the wards who supplied me with the results. Based on those figures, I won the election,” Diden told the court, insisting that the eventual declaration of another candidate did not reflect the outcome recorded at the polling centres.
According to him, the results were allegedly altered after the exercise, leading to what he described as an unlawful declaration of Senator Joel-Onowakpo Thomas as the APC candidate.
During cross-examination by counsel to the first defendant, Lukman Fagbemi (SAN), Diden acknowledged that the APC conducted the primary in line with its prescribed procedures.
However, he maintained that he was never presented with what the party described as its official collated results and insisted that video recordings of the exercise would support his claims before the court.
Counsel representing the APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) also cross-examined the plaintiff before Justice Umar admitted documentary exhibits tendered by the parties.
Following the close of the plaintiff’s case, counsel to Senator Joel-Onowakpo requested additional time to open the defence, citing prior travel commitments.
With no objection from other parties, the court adjourned proceedings until July 20, when the defendants are expected to commence their defence.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1094/2026, seeks a declaration that Diden was the valid winner of the APC Delta South Senatorial primary election and an order directing the party to forward his name to INEC as its candidate for the 2027 senatorial election.
The case is one of several post-primary disputes currently before Nigerian courts as aggrieved aspirants seek judicial interpretation of the conduct and outcome of party nomination processes ahead of the 2027 general elections.
No judgment has been delivered, and the court is yet to determine the merits of the competing claims.
Credit: Thisdaylive
