Asaba, April 28, 2025 — In a seismic shift that has upended Delta State’s political order, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and his predecessor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, formally abandoned the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) this week to join the All Progressives Congress (APC). Their defection—followed en masse by ward-to-state PDP executives—marks the end of a 26-year PDP stronghold and ushers in a new era of power struggles within the ruling party.
PDP’s Long Reign Capsizes
Since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999, the PDP had enjoyed uninterrupted control of Delta State. That dominance appeared unassailable—until Wednesday, when Oborevwori, Okowa and dozens of senior PDP stakeholders decamped to the APC. In a ceremony at Government House, Asaba, the governor announced his resignation from the PDP and signaled that local government chairmen, commissioners and grassroots operatives would follow suit.
Reflecting on the decision, Senator James Manager—the PDP’s first state chairman—described it as a collectively reached conclusion. “You cannot stay in a boat already capsizing,” Manager said. “We have discussed and agreed unanimously. It’s a collective decision for many reasons.”
“We Defected to Win”
Senator Manager and other defectors pointed to internal PDP dynamics and the party’s national paralysis under former vice‐presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar. “How do you contest an incumbent president when your own party is divided and unable to unite behind a credible candidate?” Manager asked. He noted that a recent PDP Governors’ Forum resolution against coalition talks further demoralized members.
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Oborevwori echoed this rationale, insisting that aligning with President Bola Tinubu’s APC would unlock federal support for Delta’s infrastructure and social programmes. He promises that the APC induction—formalized on Monday by Vice President Kashim Shettima at Asaba’s Cenotaph—will strengthen the state’s development agenda ahead of the 2027 elections.
Who Now Leads Delta APC?
With Oborevwori’s entry, procedural norms dictate that the sitting governor assumes leadership of the APC in Delta State. Yet real power has long rested with Senator Ovie Omo-Agege—Oborevwori’s 2023 election rival and the party’s most influential grassroots organiser. Omo-Agege has publicly objected to the defections, warning that newcomers with “questionable records” could destabilize the party.
At a stakeholders’ meeting in February, Omo-Agege reminded APC faithful that his faction had already won two senatorial and two federal assembly seats in Delta Central. “Which party is truly more popular?” he challenged. He remains adamant that Oborevwori and Okowa are unwelcome—comments that set the stage for an unmistakable leadership tussle.
Ibori’s Enduring Shadow
Further complicating matters is Chief James Ibori—Delta’s longest-serving political godfather (1999-2007), whose influence persists across successive administrations. Many of Oborevwori’s and Okowa’s contemporaries, including Omo-Agege, Ned Nwoko and Peter Nwaoboshi, once owed their careers to Ibori’s patronage. Though he has not formally declared for the APC, Ibori’s sympathy lies with Tinubu’s ruling party, and his counsel will be sought on power-sharing arrangements.
Nwoko’s U-Turn and Factional Lines
Senator Ned Nwoko—who defected to the APC earlier this year—initially derided Oborevwori’s capabilities but has since softened his stance, welcoming the governor’s decision as heralding a “new dawn.” He remains silent on Okowa’s move, underscoring the fragmented loyalties within the APC. At a recent Agbor rally, Nwoko vowed that Delta would be “an APC state by 2027,” dismissing the PDP’s quarter-century rule as “twenty-five years of corrupt governance.”
The Road to 2027
With formal defectors now in the APC fold, attention turns to the impending 2027 governorship primaries. Oborevwori is expected to leverage his incumbency and newly acquired party machinery, but Omo-Agege—backed by Ibori’s network—remains a formidable contender. APC national leaders, mindful of both men’s influence, are said to be exploring power-sharing formulas, federal appointments and zoning agreements to avert an acrimonious primary battle.
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As the PDP grapples with the wholesale loss of its Delta structure, it must rapidly rebuild, identify fresh candidates and shore up its base ahead of the next elections. For now, however, the abrupt realignment has handed the APC a decisive strategic advantage in the Niger Delta—and set the stage for high-stakes political warfare in Delta State.
Additional reporting by Omajemite Don, TJ News Nigeria
