Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori was not present at the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF) meeting held in Abuja on Saturday night. The purpose of the meeting was to welcome new members into the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), yet Oborevwori, who recently aligned himself with the party, was absent. Having achieved victory in 2023 under the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Oborevwori made the decision to leave the party earlier this week, citing various reasons.
The governor, along with his predecessor Ifeanyi Okowa and the entire PDP in the South-South region, announced their intention to merge their structure with the leading APC, which they believe offers a more advantageous platform for the oil-rich state. Attendees of the meeting included Senator Ned Nwoko, representing Delta North; Minister of Aviation Festus Keyamo; former Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege; APC Secretary Felix Morka; former governorship candidate in Delta State Great Ogboru; and other National Assembly members.
The recent trend of defections from the PDP to the APC has sparked discussions among observers, politicians, and the general public. With Okowa, a prominent figure in the PDP and the party’s vice presidential candidate in the 2023 election, now joining the APC, analysts suggest that these defections represent a significant setback for the main opposition party’s efforts to regain power in 2027.
However, some PDP leaders, including Bode George, former Senate President Bukola Saraki, and ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar, remain unfazed by this shift. They assert that the party will recover and emerge stronger in preparation for the upcoming general elections.
George, a former military governor of Ondo State, questioned the impact of the APC government on the populace, expressing that there is widespread discontent. He remarked, ‘What do you think they are going to do there, if not for personal gain?’ He further stated, ‘The people of Delta are inherently PDP supporters. They are aware of the positive influence they experienced under the PDP national government. Therefore, if you choose to leave, we wish you the best of luck.
We have observed this previously those who left ultimately returned, as they are entering an organization that is deeply personal to them.
