The Governor of Delta State, Sheriff Oborevwori, and his predecessor, Ifeanyi Okowa, have explained why they abandoned the Peoples Democratic Party for the ruling All Progressives Congress.
Both of them spoke in Asaba, Delta State on Monday, where they were officially received by the APC by 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.
Oborevwori said the move to the APC was borne out of the desire to get the best for his state, while Okowa said the move would allow the state to get closer to the Federal Government.
Okowa, a former governor of the state, was the Vice Presidential candidate of the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar in the 2023 elections.
He said his defection was not for personal gains.
He said, “Today, obviously, is a great day for us in Delta State. When the news broke out on April 23, 2025, that we had decided to change our path, 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 that we took was based on that common good, and the need to change our path in the best interest of our state,” he said.
“As I did tell people that day, it was not about me. It was not about the governor, but the fact that there is the 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 and we know that we are very supportive of Governor Sheriff.
“But as the governor is doing a lot for us, he also needs to connect to the greater source of power and resource and goodwill in Abuja.
“And when we sat down after a stakeholders meeting, we thought that it was necessary to make this move.”
The governor described the defection as a movement, adding that stakeholders were consulted before the action took place.
He said, “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, who was a former speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, said during the ceremony on Monday.
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 Governor Oberevwori and his team in Delta State.
Vice President Shettima described the defection as a tsunami and an unimaginable feat.
“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,” he said.
On April 23, Oborevwori and other PDP bigwigs in Delta State defected to the APC.
On Sunday, Festus Keyamo, minister of aviation and aerospace development, announced that the APC structure in Delta is now fully under the governor’s control.
