By Vincent Egunyanga and David Lawani
In a stunning political twist that has sent shockwaves through Nigeria’s political landscape, Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, and former vice presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 elections, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, have dumped the party.
They will officially join the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday next week.
After months of political cat-and-mouse and mounting speculation, the long-rumoured defection has finally materialised, leaving the PDP reeling and the APC celebrating a major strategic gain in Delta State ahead of the next election cycle.
Oborevwori cited the political crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) opposition as his reason for defection to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday.
The governor, who led the entire PDP bloc in Delta State, said he could not remain in a fast-sinking party.
Oborevwori announced his resignation from the PDP to join the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) after a series of political meetings held at the Government House, Asaba, which Okowa and other PDP stakeholders across the state attended.
The massive defection ends PDP’s uninterrupted 26‑year rule in the nation’s oil-rich Delta State.
The PDP had controlled Delta State since 1999 when former governor Chief James Ibori was first elected on the party’s platform after the return of civilian rule and succeeded by Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan.
Okowa succeeded Uduaghan of the PDP and now Oborevwori.
The Governor has directed all PDP stakeholders in the state to join the All Progressives Congress, which Vice President Kashim Shettima will receive at a rally at the Cenotaph in Asaba on Monday.
The State Deputy Governor, Sir Monday Onyeme; the immediate past governor, Okowa; members of the National Assembly, the speaker, the speaker of the State House of Assembly, Emomotimi Guwor; members of the State House of Assembly, commissioners, commissioners, Local Government Council Chairmen, top government functionaries, and party officials were in attendance at the meeting.
Briefing journalists at the end of the meeting, the state Commissioner for Works (Rural Roads) and Public Information, Charles Aniagwu, said the decision became necessary following the unfortunate happenings at the party’s National level.
“For some time now, the media, particularly social media, have been awash with the political decisions we will make in Delta.
“While that was on, the governor and the leaders of the party have been very busy carrying out some necessary consultations, and it is also part of that consultation that has resulted in this meeting today for the leaders of the PDP to be able to advise as to what necessary steps that needed to be taken.
“It is said that when the taste of the palm wine changes, the drinking pattern also changes, and the party leaders were unanimous in their view that the political temperature has changed.
“And there was a need for change that would help cement the development in our state, build the bond of love that has existed in our state, and further advance the security and welfare of our people.
“As you know, every politics is local. So, in making this decision, we came to the inevitable conclusion that moving out of the PDP is necessary for us to collaborate with our kits and kin and build the bond we have been enjoying.
“We believe that what is happening in the PDP at the national level can be likened to palm wine, whose taste has changed, which is why this decision has been made.
“By the grace of God, on Monday next week, we will be able to say that we are moving to the APC boldly.”
Also speaking, Senator James, the manager and the pioneer chairman of the PDP in the state, said the decision was made in consultation with various stakeholders across the state.
“You have just been told about some things happening at PDP Delta State. Some consultations have been going on, and the climax is what you see today.
“We have discussed and have disagreed to agree, and it is a unanimous agreement. I am the pioneer state chairman of the PDP. But you cannot be in a boat already capsizing because I am a riverine man.
“Looking at issues the way they are, we have come to the inevitable conclusion to do something else. It is a collective decision for so many reasons.
“A few days ago, a resolution was taken by the PDP Governor’s forum at Ibadan. Almost all the governors were there and resolved they were not colliding with any other party.
“But as disadvantaged as the PDP is now with about 11 Governors, how do you go into a contest with an incumbent president? Do you think you can win? That particular resolution killed the spirit of so many PDP members.
“We lost the election in 2015 due to a merger which even included splinter groups from the PDP. There are also other reasons.
“Today, Senator Anyanwu is the National Secretary of the party. Tomorrow is another person. The party must be positioned to go into an election to win. So you see that it is becoming hilarious. The PDP is truly in trouble.
“If you look well, the current PDP state chairman was in the meeting, the governor was there, the deputy governor, the immediate past governor, the speaker. All of these persons were in the meeting. National Assembly members and even the House of Assembly members. The who’s who in Delta State were in the meeting to make this decision,” he said.
With Oborevwori now in APC colours, the South‑South’s political map tightens. The new alignment enhances President Bola Tinubu’s re‑election calculus by adding roughly 1.4 million Delta votes to the ruling party.
*APC NWC welcomes the decision of Oborevwori to join party as PDP keeps mum
The National Working Committee of the APC, led by the National Chairman, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, has expressed its elation at Oborevwori’s decision to join the party along with eminent leaders of the PDP.
The National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Felix Morka, in a statement, noted that the steps taken by the former governor of Delta State, Okowa, and other leaders and members of the House of Assembly, local government chairmen and councillors in the state, and teeming leaders and members of the PDP are commendable.
Morka said, “Our great Party welcomes this important development and assures the Governor, incoming leaders, and members of Delta PDP of our fullest cooperation and accommodation in the APC family.
“With this move, coming on the heels of steady decamping of PDP leaders and members across the state to APC, including members of Delta Unity Group in Ika federal constituency, we are delighted that Delta state, now an APC state, stands poised to contribute maximally to the success and realisation of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and the enduring good and prosperity of Deltans and all Nigerians.”
Meanwhile, the leadership of the PDP has refused to comment on the defection of Oborevwori and Okowa from the party.
The party’s Director of Publicity, Chinwe Nnorum, told ThisNigeria that the party is yet to respond.
Similarly, Atiku Abubakar’s Head of Media, Paul Ibe, could not be reached for comment.
Last week, the PDP Governors Forum said it would not be part of any coalition to unseat President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 election.
Atiku Abubakar responded by telling them that the coalition train had left the station, indicating they were not in the reckoning for the 2027 project.
However, a pro-Tinubu political advocacy group, the Tinubu Disciples, has warmly welcomed Oborevwori into the APC, describing the move as a “step in the right direction” for the governor and the state.
In a statement yesterday, the group’s National Coordinator, Prince Koyoyo Uhrorho, commended Governor Oborevwori’s decision to join the ruling party, noting that it signifies Delta State’s alignment with the national political landscape and opens new opportunities for the state to reclaim its place in federal decision-making.
“We welcome the Delta State Governor, Elder Sheriff Oborevwori, to the APC. It is a step in the right direction, a breath of fresh air for the state, and an inclusion into national politics,” Uhrorho said.
He added that the defection validates the confidence the Tinubu Disciples placed in President Bola Tinubu during the last general elections, during which the group played a key role in mobilising grassroots support.
“Even opposition figures are now seeing what we saw in President Tinubu. With this move, Delta State is firmly positioned within national politics and aligned with a leadership style emphasising bold reforms and inclusive governance,” Uhrorho said.
He further urged Nigerians from all walks of life — regardless of political affiliation, religion, or ethnicity — to rally behind President Tinubu in his efforts to tackle the nation’s challenges. Uhrorho emphasised that Tinubu’s character and political will uniquely equip him to steer the country through turbulent times.
The group’s statement comes amid widespread political realignments in Delta State following the recent mass defection of key PDP stakeholders, including Okowa, to the APC.
