As the 2027 general election is drawing closer, the politics of Delta State has taken a new dimension following the total transition of the entire state PDP to the ruling APC last week, MATTHEW OCHEI writes
The defection of Governor Sheriff Oborewori, Ifeanyi Okowa and the entire Peoples Democratic Party members in the state to the All Progressives Congress marks a significant turning point in the state’s politics.
It was a shock to the people of the state last Wednesday when the news of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State and his predecessor, Ifeanyi Okowa’s defection, filtered through the town.
Nearly every corner and junction in the state capital had residents, some expressing frustration, in groups deliberating, pondering and calculating how the new political system in the state would affect them and Nigeria at large.
Some still find it hard to believe, even though the defection had dominated the newsstands in the last few days, wondering about the circumstances that may have pushed Governor Oborevwori and Okowa not to another party but to the All Progressives Congress ahead of 2027.
“Yes, we heard this defection news, but I’m still not too sure, because we are talking about the governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, a former governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, and all the PDP members in the state and not fee persons,” Ekene Ejeh, a social analyst, told The PUNCH.
“How did these people manage to move to APC and not to other parties? Well, it’s all about interest, but moving to the APC is still a surprise to some of us.
“They have a lot of rivals there, I doubt whether they will be comfortable because of people like Ovie Omo-Agege, Ned Nwoko or even James Ibori, whose daughter in the House of Representatives had defected to the APC in January.
“Remember that throughout last month and this month, people like Omo-Agege and Nwoko threatened Governor Oborevwori, that he’s not welcome to the APC. Do you think it’s an empty threat? Now Oborevwori has entered, by his position as governor, he will be the leader of the party in the state.”
He added that all the movements were about 2027 election tickets, which he described as a selfish interest.
Politics, they say, is all about interest with no permanent enemies. This signifies the interest of these ‘Political Maradonas’ in the politics of Delta State after casting aspersions on the APC over the years.
There are many questions from Deltas begging for answers over the defection of the entire PDP in the state, like what Oborevwori and Okowa are looking for in the APC? What’s the fate of Omo-Agege, Ned Nwoko and Ibori? Are they turning Delta into a one-party state? Can APC accommodate these political Maradonas?
Indeed, after Governor Oborevwori, Ifeanyi Okowa, Ibori, Omo-Agege and Nwoko battled in PDP over power, it’s obvious and expected that the battle will be carried over to the APC.
Though Ibori has yet to officially dump PDP for APC but it is obvious that he’s been working and strategising with APC for the past two years after parting ways with Okowa during the 2023 general election.
Ned Nwoko, who contested the senate under the platform of PDP, had earlier this year defected to APC to be able to get the support of the ruling party in the creation of Anioma state, alleging among others that Oborevwori and Okowa, who were the leaders of the PDP in the state, were against the creation of Anioma State.
More so, Great Ogboru, a former LP governorship candidate in 2015 and APC chieftain who defected to PDP in the buildup to the 2023 election, also returned to the APC in March.
It had been previously rumoured that Oborevwori sent Ogboru to the APC to contest and in the process alter their political calculation, which would ultimately hand victory to the PDP come 2027.
Now that Oborevwori has joined the APC, what is the fate of Omo-Agege, who was a major contender in the 2023 governorship election and had been moving around communities selling himself for the 2027 governorship election? Will Omo-Agege drop his ambition in 2027? Well, time will tell.
Meanwhile, the Delta State Government House was like a carnival venue last Wednesday as exotic vehicles drove in and out of the complex for a series of meetings.
The meetings, it was gathered, commenced around 8am, deliberating and taking resolutions on possible options for the APC. It was learnt that around 2pm, the party stakeholders unanimously decided to join the ruling party.
Rising from the meeting, Oborevwori, Okowa and other stakeholders were seen exchanging pleasantries in front of the Government House ahead of the declaration of their defection to the APC.
Announcing the defection at the Government House, Asaba, Senator James Manager, the pioneer PDP chairman in the state, told journalists that the decision was taken after an enlarged meeting of party members in the state.
He said, “Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, Deputy Governor were in the meeting, the immediate past governor Ifeanyi Okowa, who ran as vice presidential candidate (in the 2023 election), was in the meeting, Speaker, Delta State House Assembly, National Assembly members, both serving and non-serving, who are still members of the party, were in the meeting.
“All the House of Assembly members were in the meeting, all the Local Government party chairmen, all the council chairmen, the who-is-who in Delta state PDP were in the meeting.
“We cannot continue to be in the sinking boat.”
In addition, the state Commissioner for Works (Rural Road) and Public Information, Charles Aniagwu, said the decision was taken by all the members of the PDP.
“The decision was taken by all these members. So, it is not a question of saying Sheriff Oborevwori has moved, it’s a question of saying that these leaders mentioned above formed PDP in Delta State and that is why the stakeholders agreed that there is a need for us to make this move and to further advance the cause of security and the welfare of our people, and, to a large extent, ensure that development in Delta is not truncated.
“By Monday (today) next week, you will get further details of some of the resolutions.”
An APC chieftain and former governorship aspirant in the 2019 election, Professor Leroy Edozien, said the defection was a benefit to the ruling APC.
“I join the APC faithful in welcoming His Excellency, Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori, to our party. It is no exaggeration to say that the defection of the governor and ex-governor is a seismic shift in Delta State politics.
“Delta State APC has an established tradition of warmly receiving defectors from other political parties. What is different in this case is that we are receiving not just individuals but an entire state structure of an opposing party, as well as juggernauts.
“Potentially, this event has immediate and long-term benefits to the APC. Every political party and every politician aspires to win, and movements such as this facilitate electoral success.
“For the potential benefits to fully and smoothly materialise, however, the process has to be strategically and proactively managed. In this regard, I call on the party leadership to live up to the responsibility of harmonising, unifying and solidifying the enlarged party.”
However, an opinion leader in Delta State, Macdonald Ejiro, described the defection of the entire PDP in Delta as anti-democracy in the state, especially at the detriment of the masses.
He said, “For me, they want to have a grip on power at all costs, and there is no way they can do that without aligning with the government at the centre because they decide the electoral process down to the results.
“It’s not a good move in the eyes of the masses that the entire Delta PDP defected to the APC. It is obvious to the general public that, at the end of the day, whether you come out to vote or not, the winner is already decided.
“This is very bad for our democracy, because it’s no longer a government for the people again as we were taught in school, but it’s a government for the elects. The fear of Tinubu and INEC is the beginning of political wisdom.”
Vice President Kashim Shetimma will be in Asaba, the Delta State capital, on Monday (today) to officially receive the train of defectors into the ruling party.
An insider told The PUNCH that Governor Oborevwori would also fly into Abuja this week to meet with the party leadership.
Already, a large number of political appointees and former PDP ward, LG and State Executive Council members have started collecting their APC membership cards at their various wards as Delta residents watch the unfolding political intrigues in the days ahead.
However, the defection has prompted the resignation of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s Special Assistant on Civil Societies and Non-Governmental Organisations, Victor Ojei.
Ojei, in his resignation letter addressed to Governor Oborevwori and made available to The PUNCH, stated that he did not join politics to wine and dine.
“With deep reflection, a heavy heart, and unwavering love for the people of Delta State, I, Comrade Victor Ojei, hereby tender my resignation as Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Civil Societies and NGOs, effective from 25th April, 2025, marking the end of my tenure, which began on the 2nd of August, 2023.
“I want to state clearly: I will not cross carpet from PDP to APC. I am not a politician; I am a socio-political activist. I stand with the truth and with the people, not with the highest bidder.
“I did not join politics to wine and dine. I joined PDP and accepted this role with only one ambition: to fight for the ordinary Deltan through activism, advocacy and developmental partnerships that would uplift our land from the scars of neglect and political promises into genuine prosperity. But I was limited by the very system I sought to strengthen.
“Yes, I admired President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his bold reforms as Governor of Lagos State. But this new path — this aggressive political conversion of PDP states into APC strongholds — is dangerous. It is pushing Nigeria towards a one-party system, which the PDP never did during their time from 1999 to 2015.
“The birth of APC itself was possible because the PDP government then allowed political plurality. That era was the best of Nigeria’s democracy. Democracy is not democracy when power is gained by manipulation. That is not democracy; that is voodoo governance.
“I will never toy with the destiny of the people of Delta State. My loyalty lies with them, not with any party or position. I will continue to speak, to act, and to defend the people, whether in office or outside it.
“I may have resigned the position, but I have not resigned my passion. I have not resigned from Delta State. I have not resigned from the hearts of the people. And I know that the people who know the truth will one day rise to give me a chance to truly serve them without chains.
“To your credit, Your Excellency, I thank you for the opportunity to serve. I did not take it lightly,” part of the letter read.
Ojei said from 1999 to date, not one tangible thing has come into the pocket of the average Deltan monthly.
“Not one policy guarantees their safety. Not one hope touches their roof. This cannot continue. I refuse to be part of a system that watches our people drown and clap instead of rescuing them.”)
