Senator Ned Nwoko’s recent political maneuvers are raising eyebrows across Delta North and the national political scene. As the first politician from Delta State to openly defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC) following speculation that the state PDP may align with the ruling party, many believe his actions reflect more than political foresight; they reveal a deep-seated political contradiction or survival.
Despite his new APC affiliation, Senator Nwoko has continued to act in ways that suggest alignment with the ADC-led opposition coalition, a group publicly committed to unseating President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 elections. This duality in allegiance, supporting a coalition aimed at removing the president while simultaneously forging ties with the APC leadership, has drawn criticism as an unsustainable “double game.”
“He can’t be dealing differently with the Senate President and at the same time working with a coalition that exists solely to unseat the president,” a political observer has remarked.
When reached for clarification, Senator Nwoko’s Chief of Staff, Mr. Michael Nwoko, dismissed the claims of coalition ties. “It’s very clear that Distinguished Senator Prince Ned Munir Nwoko is a member of APC and a strong supporter of H.E. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he told reporters.
Further reinforcing this position, Mr. Kaikene Okolie, another close aide to the Senator, said: “Ned Nwoko is Asiwaju and Asiwaju is Ned Nwoko. He never did and never will join the coalition. How can someone with unhindered access to Mr. President and who gets what he wants be part of a coalition in confusion?” He added pointedly, “Coalition is an imagination.”
However, the Senator’s continued silence on his actual role within the ADC Coalition and his perceived ties with non-APC elements raise questions the public still wants answered. Critics argue that he can’t eat his cake and have it: “He has to come clean.”
Beyond party affiliations, Senator Nwoko has also been championing the controversial Anioma State creation cause, an agenda many believe is being used as a political distraction across the country. Analysts say that while state creation rhetoric is popular, it often substitutes for actual governance and fails to address the pressing needs of constituents.
With political realignments accelerating ahead of 2027, Senator Nwoko must now clarify where his loyalty truly lies. Is he with the APC in principle, or simply in name?
