Former Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege, has suffered a setback in his bid to secure the National Democratic Congress (NDC) ticket for Delta Central Senatorial District after losing the party’s primary to Onome Bernice Dema in a closely watched contest.
The primary, described by party stakeholders as highly competitive, saw both candidates record strong performances across different local government areas, but Dema ultimately prevailed on the strength of overwhelming margins in key battlegrounds.
Omo-Agege maintained dominance in several of his traditional strongholds, including Ughelli North, Ughelli South, Udu and Uvwie, where his established political structures and grassroots networks delivered significant votes.
However, the contest shifted decisively in Sapele and Okpe Local Government Areas, where Dema recorded landslide victories that effectively erased Omo-Agege’s gains elsewhere and reshaped the overall balance of the race.
In Sapele, Dema reportedly secured 1,352 votes to Omo-Agege’s 4, while in Okpe she polled 1,650 votes against his 5, results that proved decisive in widening the gap beyond recovery.
Omo-Agege, however, held narrow leads in some areas, including Ughelli South where he polled 1,160 votes against Dema’s 1,146, and Ethiope West where he edged her 360 to 340.
He also recorded stronger margins in Udu, with 900 votes to Dema’s 250, Uvwie with 400 to 200, and a commanding lead in Ughelli North, where he polled 1,024 votes compared to Dema’s 35.
Ethiope East results were later excluded from the final collation following reported irregularities during the voting process, according to party insiders involved in the exercise.
At the end of collation, Dema emerged winner of the primary with a reported total of 4,973 votes, while Omo-Agege polled 3,853 votes. Other aspirants, Akpodiete and Ineneji, recorded 92 and 31 votes respectively.
Political observers say the outcome underscores how decisive victories in a few high-population or strategically significant areas, particularly Sapele and Okpe can outweigh narrower wins elsewhere, ultimately determining the direction of tightly contested primaries.
