Despite his initial denial amid widespread speculations that he planned to jump ship, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State on Wednesday dramatically dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, along with his predecessor and the former vice-presidential candidate of the party in the 2023 general elections, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa.
In a tsunamic movement that collapsed and emptied the PDP structure into the APC – from the executive, to the legislature, all elected federal lawmakers, and the elected members of local government councils – the development has dealt the tottering PDP a devastating blow, sinking its ship.
Newsmata.com.ng recalls that Governor Oborevwori had stoutly denied claims that he was defecting to the APC after Senator Ned Nwoko representing Delta North alleged at a political event in Agbor, Ika Federal Constituency.
Speaking at the official defection of members of the Delta Unity Group, a socio-political body, from the PDP to the APC on Saturday April 12, 2025, Nwoko had insinuated that Governor Oborevwori was seeking entry into the APC fold but was “not welcome.”
But firing back, the governor described Nwoko’s claim as laughable and baseless.
The governor, who spoke through the Director-General of the Delta State Orientation and Communications Bureau, Fred Oghenesivbe, said: “We don’t have time for Ned Nwoko. We have spoken extensively on this issue before now, myself and even the commissioner, Charles Aniagwu, that the governor is not defecting.”
Challenging Senator Nwoko to present proof of his allegations and questioning the basis of his remarks, Oghenesivbe said, “Did Governor Sheriff tell Nwoko that he is coming to the APC? You, journalists, should ask Ned Nwoko whether Sheriff approached him about coming to the APC. If Oborevwori didn’t approach Nwoko about joining the APC, where did Nwoko get that information for him to even be saying Sheriff is not welcome in the APC? It doesn’t make sense to anybody.”
However while setting the tone for the big announcement after a stakeholders meeting at the Government House, Asaba, Aniagwu, the State Commissioner for Works (Rural Roads) and Public Information, waxing philosophical, said “when the taste of the palm wine changes, the drinking pattern also changes and the leaders of the party were unanimous in their view that the political temperature has changed”, hence the mass defection.
According to Aniagwu, “For some time now, the media, particularly the social media, have been awash as to what political decisions that we are going to be taking in Delta.
“While that was on, the governor and the leaders of the party have been very busy carrying out some necessary consultations and it is also part of that consultation that has resulted in this meeting today for the leaders of the PDP to be able to advise as to what necessary steps that needed to be taken.
“It is said that when the taste of the palm wine changes, the drinking pattern also changes. And the leaders of the party, in the course of the consultations, were unanimous in their views that the political temperature has changed, the taste of the palm wine in this instance has also changed and there was the need for us to adjust to the drinking pattern.
“And in adjusting that drinking pattern, we needed to take a decision that will further help to cement the development in our state, to build the bond of love that had existed in our state to further advance the cause of security and welfare of our people, and to a very large extent, ensure that development in Delta – because even politics is local – is not truncated.
“And in taking that decision, we came to the inevitable conclusion that moving out of the PDP is very, very necessary for us to be able to collaborate with our kith and kins and build that state that every Deltan will be proud of. We believe that what is happening at the national level of the PDP, is akin to the palm wine whose taste has changed and there was the need for us to change the drinking pattern. That is why this decision has been taken unanimously by leaders and stakeholders of the party, and by the grace of God, on Monday next week, we will be able to make a very big statement to the fact that we are moving into the APC”.
Announcing the defection, pioneer Chairman of the PDP in Delta State, Senator James Manager, reiterated that the decision was taken in consultation with various stakeholders across the state.
Manager said: “You have just been told about some of the things that have been happening in the PDP Delta State. Some consultations have been going on and the climax of these consultations is what you are seeing today.
“We have discussed and have disagreed to agree, and it is a unanimous agreement. I am the pioneer state chairman of the PDP. But you cannot be in a boat that is already capsizing because I am a riverine man.
“Looking at issues the way they are, we have come to the inevitable conclusion to do something else. It is a collective decision for so many reasons.
“A few days ago, there was a resolution taken by the PDP Governor’s Forum at Ibadan. Almost all the Governors were there, and they resolved that they were not going into coalition with any other party.
“But as disadvantaged as the PDP is now with about 11 Governors, how do you go into a contest with an incumbent president? You think you can win? That particular resolution killed the spirit of so many PDP members.
“We lost the election in 2015 as a result of a merger which even included splinter groups from the PDP. There are also other reasons.
“Today, Senator Anyanwu is the National Secretary of the party; tomorrow, is another person. The party must be positioned to go into an election to win. So, you see that it is becoming very funny. The PDP is truly in trouble.
“If you look well, the current PDP state chairman was in the meeting, the governor was there, the Deputy governor, the immediate past governor, the speaker. All of these persons were in the meeting. National Assembly members and even the House of Assembly members. The who is who in Delta State was in the meeting to make this decision.”
With Oborevwori now in APC colours, the South‑South’s political map tightens as the new alignment enhances President Bola Tinubu’s re‑election calculus by adding roughly 1.4 million Delta votes to the ruling party.
At the meeting, all stakeholders, leaders and members of the PDP resolved to join Governor Sheriff Oborevwori to move to the APC and would be received at a rally by Vice President, Kashim Shettima at the Cenotaph, in Asaba, on Monday.
In attendance at the meeting were, the deputy governor, Monday Onyeme, immediate past Governor of the state and former Vice-Presidential candidate of the party, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, members of the National Assembly, Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Emomotimi Guwor, members of the State House of Assembly, Commissioners, Local Government Council Chairmen, top government functionaries, stakeholders, leaders and party officials.