Ahead of 2027 calculations, a political tsunami has hit Delta state as Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, his deputy Monday Onyeme, the immediate past Governor of Delta Ifeanyi Okowa, and several key allies have officially defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Oborevwori’s defection was announced following a closed-door meeting at the Government House in Asaba on Wednesday.
The Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Sir Festus Ahon, who confirmed the decision said the decision was reached after “wide consultations with political stakeholders and in the interest of Delta’s long-term development.”
Also, Oborevwori’s defection was confirmed by Delta State’s Commissioner for Information, Charles Aniagwu, in a statement, saying that the development is the collective decision of Delta PDP leaders.
He said: “There is a need for us to adjust our drinking patterns. In adjusting that drinking pattern, we needed to make a decision that would further help to cement the development in our state, to build the court of law that has existed in our state, 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.
“In taking that decision, we concluded that leaving the PDP was very necessary for us to be able to collaborate and build a state that every Deltan will be proud of. We believe that what is happening, and the state of the PDP, is akin to that palm wine whose taste has changed — and there was a need for us to change the drinking party.”
While the development came as a rude shock to many, some political analysts have viewed Oborevwori’s defection as a strategic political calculation ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Some analysts also viewed the development from the lens of ongoing investigations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), including Okowa, who served as the running mate to PDP presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar in the 2023 election.
It would be recalled that Okowa, who is believed to be the political benefactor of Oborevwori, was recently quizzed by the EFCC over connection with an ongoing probe into fraud and diversion of 13% derivation funds belonging to oil-rich Delta.
Also, several government officials during the administration of Okowa were arrested and detained in December 2024 over the probe into the management of funds, specifically the 13% derivation funds allocated to oil-producing states from 2015 to 2023.
