A Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday heard allegations of result manipulation in the All Progressives Congress (APC) Delta South Senatorial District primary election, as former Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC) Chairman, Prince Michael Diden, testified in support of his suit challenging the outcome of the May 18, 2026 primary.
Diden, an aspirant in the primary election, is contesting the declaration of Senator Joel-Onowakpo Thomas as the APC’s candidate for the 2027 Delta South Senatorial election.
Justice Mohammed Garba Umar subsequently adjourned the matter to July 20 for Senator Thomas to open his defence.
While giving evidence, Diden told the court that the primary election was conducted peacefully across the district but alleged that the results were later manipulated in favour of Senator Thomas.
He informed the court that he deployed agents to all wards across the eight local government areas of Delta South Senatorial District, adding that they supplied him with the results from their respective polling units.
The former Sapele Local Government Chairman alleged that Senator Thomas, the APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) conspired to alter the results, resulting in what he described as his wrongful exclusion as the party’s candidate.
Diden urged the court to overturn what he called falsified results and declare him the lawful winner of the primary election.
During cross-examination by counsel to the first defendant, Lukman Fagbemi, SAN, the plaintiff acknowledged that the APC conducted the primary in accordance with established guidelines but maintained that he was never presented with the party’s official results.
He insisted that video recordings of the election in his possession would assist the court in determining the true outcome of the exercise.
Counsel representing the APC and INEC also cross-examined the plaintiff before Justice Umar admitted several documentary exhibits tendered by the parties.
Following the close of the plaintiff’s case, counsel to Senator Thomas requested an adjournment to enable the defence open its case on July 20, citing a scheduled trip outside the country. The request was not opposed, prompting the court to adjourn proceedings accordingly.
In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1094/2026, Diden is asking the court to declare him the authentic winner of the APC direct primary, claiming he polled 96,893 votes against 31,918 votes allegedly secured by Senator Thomas.
He accused the senator of announcing what he described as forged and fabricated results before the APC National Working Committee completed the official collation and declaration process in Abuja.
According to Diden, the APC had stipulated that results from the direct primary would be collated and officially announced only at the party’s national headquarters. He alleged that Senator Thomas disregarded the directive by declaring himself winner through the media.
The plaintiff further claimed that party leaders, stakeholders, women, youths and registered APC members in Delta South petitioned the party’s national leadership to reject the alleged declaration and recognise what he described as the authentic results.
Among the reliefs sought, Diden is asking the court to declare him the valid winner of the May 18 APC direct primary, direct the APC to submit his name to INEC as its candidate for the 2027 Delta South Senatorial election, and compel the electoral commission to accept his nomination.
Source: THISDAY except headline
