The primary election took place on Sunday at the Oleh township stadium, headquarters of Isoko South Local Government Area of the state amidst tight security.
The immediate past commissioner for energy in Delta State, Jonathan Ukodhiko, has picked the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ticket for the Isoko Federal House of Representatives in the forthcoming 2023 general elections after paying N2 million each to delegates, SaharaReporters has learnt.
The primary election took place on Sunday at the Oleh township stadium, headquarters of Isoko South Local Government Area of the state amidst tight security.
One of the adhoc delegates who benefited from Ukodhiko's largesse confided in SaharaReporters that the ex-commissioner paid Adhoc delegates the sum of N2 million each in Isoko South and Isoko North local government areas of the state, adding that not all the delegates got the money.
Ukodhiko, the anointed candidate of the incumbent House of Representatives member representing the Isoko federal constituency and former minority leader, Leo Ogor, had 33 votes to clinch the party's ticket.
He defeated former Managing Director of the Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (DESOPADEC), Askia Ogieh, who had 21 votes.
In the primary election, the immediate past chairman of Isoko South council, Itiako Ikpokpo Malik polled three votes, while a former aide to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, Johnson Erijo polled 2.
Another former aide to the governor, Dickson Ebegbare Fineboy polled five votes.
Addressing the press shortly after the declaration of the results, Ukodhiko thanked delegates and the people of the Isoko nation for believing in him. He promised not to disappoint the people of Isoko at the National Assembly if elected in the general elections in 2023.
Meanwhile, the incumbent lawmaker representing the Ndokwa/Ukwuani federal House of Representatives, Ossai Nicholas Ossai, lost out to one Nmadi Ezechi.