The governor of Delta State, Sheriff Oborevwori, former vice presidential candidate Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, and the entire PDP structure in Delta State recently defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). The PDP leadership has directed its legal adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade, to expeditiously prepare legal procedures to contest these defections.
Okowa, Governor Oborevwori, and other influential members of the PDP’s Delta State branch reportedly defected from the opposition party and vowed to back the APC on April 23, 2025, marking a significant change in political allegiance. This was followed by the directive.
The national leadership of the party has pledged to use the legal system to regain its mandate because these politicians were first elected on the PDP platform.
Read Also:Â BREAKING: EFCC Apprehends E-Money for Alleged Naira Abuse
Following the year’s first National Working Committee (NWC) meeting, Acting National Chairman Amb Umar Damagum reaffirmed the party’s intention to file a legal challenge to the defection.
“We’re willing to go to court to get back what is rightfully ours. “We will see to it that justice is served, as these individuals were elected on our platform,” Damagum declared.
Emma Ogidi, the Caretaker Chairman for the South-South zone, has already been tasked by the PDP with assuming control of Delta State, he disclosed.
As the defection has now eclipsed the influence of the current leadership under Chief Dan Orbih, Ogidi will also look for new party leaders.
Key members of the PDP, including Deputy Governor Monday Onyeme, state commissioners, local government chairmen, and grassroots machinery, have chosen to defect to the APC following a closed-door meeting in Asaba.
For years, Delta State has been a PDP bastion, but this political realignment, known as the “Hurricane Tinubu,” has rocked the party’s foundation.
Opposition leaders are worried about this move, claiming it could point to a dangerous trend toward a one-party state that would undermine democracy.
The PDP has set a May 27, 2025, meeting of its National Executive Committee (NEC) to address the consequences of the defections and decide how the party will proceed to uphold its mandate in light of these developments.
