By Abiola Olawale
Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State has revealed the motivation behind his decision to dump the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The Governor cited unity, development, and alignment with President Bola Tinubu’s vision for Nigeria as the reasons.
It would be recalled that on April 23, 2025, Oborevwori, alongside his deputy, Monday Onyeme, and the immediate past Governor of Delta State Ifeanyi Okowa, announced their defection to the APC.
The governor, his deputy and other former members of the PDP were officially welcomed into the APC at a ceremony attended by a mammoth crowd at the Cenotaph in Asaba on Monday, the Delta capital.
The defectors were officially received into the party by chieftains of the ruling APC, including Vice President Kashim Shettima; the party’s National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje; Senator Adams Oshiomhole; Governor Hope Uzodimma, who is the chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, among other political bigwigs.
Speaking at the event, Oborevwori said the move to the APC was borne out of the desire to get the best for the South-South state.
He asserted: “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.”
The governor also added that his decision to join the APC was made after consultations with stakeholders in the oil-rich state and based on President Bola Tinubu’s love for Delta.
He continue: “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, LG chairmen, and others are all moving to the APC.”
In his address, Okowa re-echoed Oborevwori’s reason for the collapse of the PDP structure.
Okowa, the 2023 Vice Presidential candidate of the PDP said the “bold” decision was in the “best interest of our people”.
“Today is a great day for us in Delta State. We defected in the best interest of our people.
“It was not about me or the governor, but the fact that there is a need for us to connect to Abuja. This is a bold, patriotic, and well-intentioned move,” he stated.
Shettima, who was leading the APC delegation at the ceremony, welcomed the new members into the party.
He said the defection is a testament to the progressive ideals of the Governor Oberevwori and his team in Delta State.
Shettima asserted: “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.”
