‘Tinubu Has Shown Us Love, We Can’t Work Against Him’
Okowa: Why We Dumped PDP For APC
*Don’t Bring Old PDP Habits To APC, Nwoko Tells Oborevwori
AHEAD of the 2027 general elections, the Delta State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), led by Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, and his predecessor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, and others, on Monday, April 28, officially dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and joined the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
While describing the decision to defect as historic, Oborevwori said the it was borne out of the desire to get the best for the state, adding: “What you have seen here today is a movement, not a defection. We have consulted stakeholders at all levels. Mr. President has shown us love.”
Oborevwori, a former speaker of the state House of Assembly, said the decision to join the APC was made after consultations with stakeholders and based on President Bola Tinubu’s love for Delta, saying: “We cannot face him in 2027 to work against him. When you consult widely, you can see that the love is organic.
“All our members in the Delta State House of Assembly have agreed to defect. The state exco, council chairmen, counselors, local government chairmen and others are all moving to the APC.
“Mr. President has supported us; he has shown us love. That love that he has shown us in Delta, we need to reciprocate it. We cannot do it in our old party; we have to be inside to do it and to do it well.”
“This is a movement; this is not a defection. We have agreed we’ll move together, and when we move together, what is in national, we’re able to grab it.” Oborevwori said.
On his part, a former governor of Delta State, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, on Monday, April 28, said he, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and others dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and joined the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the best interest of the state and its people.
Speaking at their formal defection and reception ceremony at the Cenotaph in Asaba, Okowa said: “People wondered why, but one thing is very important: In the history of a people, there is always a time to change their path for the common good of the people, and whatever decision we took was based on that common good and the need to change our path in the best interest of our state.”
The PDP vice presidential candidate in the 2023 generalelections described as necessary to enable the state to better connect with the federal government and benefit from the resources and goodwill available in Abuja, adding: “As I did tell people that day (when I defected), it was not about me; it was not about the governor, but about the fact that there is a need for us to connect to Abuja.
“That goodwill that is in Abuja, that resource that is in Abuja, of which Delta State is a large contributor, there was a need to connect to it.
“I was governor for eight years; I was in opposition. I did my best, but we lost a lot, and I did not believe that the governor needed to stay working very hard without the needed support.
“We are very supportive of Governor Sheriff, because he’s doing a lot, but as the governor is doing a lot for us, he also needs to connect to the greater source of power, resources and goodwill in Abuja.
“When we sat down after stakeholders’ meetings, we thought it was necessary to make this move,” a decision he described as “bold, strategic, patriotic and well-intentioned.”
Okowa charged party members to unite and work together, saying the defection would strengthen the APC in Delta, noting: “We must defend our state. Our state stands far beyond us, and I believe that this decision is in the best interest of all.
“It is time for us to embrace each other, our brothers and sisters who were already in the APC and those of us that have come into the family. We need to embrace each other and work with oneness of heart.
“It is time for us to stand together in great support for Mr. President and Mr. Governor, because together we can truly dominate the politics in Delta State. I believe there will be no other party, with this move that we have made.”
The defectors were officially received into the party by APC chieftains, including Vice President Kashim Shettima; National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje; Senator Adams Oshiomhole; Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum and Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, among others party heavyweights.
Shettima described the defection as a tsunami and an unimaginable feat, saying: “This is a political tsunami of unimaginable proportions that has never happened in the history of the South-South sub-region and the history of Nigeria.”
Meanwhile, the senator representing Delta North, Prince Ned Nwoko, has urged Oborevwori to leave old PDP habits that destroyed the opposition party behind as he joined the APC.
In a statement in reaction to the governor’s defection, Nwoko advised Oborevwori to ensure his move to the APC is transformative, adding: “Leave behind the politics of survival and step into the politics of legacy. No one pours new wine into old wineskins. Old habits, old politics and the old deals that led to the gradual decline of the PDP in Delta must be left behind.”
The senator stated that APC has already commenced preparing for constitutional amendments, including the creation of Anioma and New Delta states, noting: “Let me remind you, this agenda was declared a done deal by the party leadership long before your defection, a testament to the APC’s commitment to correcting historical imbalances and ending regional marginalisation.”
He urged the governori to embrace a new sense of purpose, lead the charge for constitutional reforms and demonstrate renewed dedication to fairness, inclusive development, and progressive governance.
