Okowa, Nwoko Battle over Delta North

Politics, they say, makes strange bedfellows. But beyond alliances and political calculations, it also has a way of testing friendships, sometimes turning once-chummy friends into bitter rivals. This appears to be the case with former Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, and his successor in the Senate, Senator Ned Nwoko, whose relationship has been overshadowed by a fierce political battle over the representation of Delta North.

Once regarded as political allies, the two gladiators are today on opposite sides of a contest that has assumed a life of its own, following the controversial All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial primary in Delta North.

Okowa, who served as Delta State governor between 2015 and 2023, was declared the winner of the primary. But Nwoko, one of the most visible and outspoken voices in the current National Assembly, has refused to accept the outcome.

For him, the matter is far from over.

Nwoko further maintained that those familiar with Delta politics were aware that the results were altered in favour of Okowa.

His argument lies more in what he considers the sanctity of the mandate he claims to have secured.

With the matter now before the courts and with both camps digging in, the once cordial relationship between the two men has become another reminder of politics’ remarkable ability to redraw the boundaries of friendship