ASABA, Nigeria – In a dramatic shift in Delta State’s political landscape, former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and his successor, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, along with the entire structure of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, have officially joined the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The mass defection was announced on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, following an enlarged stakeholders’ meeting held at the Government House in Asaba, marking a pivotal moment in Delta State’s political history.
Senator James Manager, confirming the defection, said, “All PDP members in the state, including the governor, former Governor Okowa, the Speaker, the state party chairman, all the local government chairmen and others, have agreed to move to the APC. We cannot continue to be in a sinking boat.”
In a video circulating on social media, Okowa addressed his supporters in his native dialect, assuring them that the decision was made with their best interests in mind.
“Be assured that we will not go in the wrong direction. We will take the best direction, the best path for our people,” he said.
This defection is expected to have far-reaching political consequences, especially as it comes ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Okowa’s switch, after serving as Delta’s governor and the 2023 vice-presidential candidate for the PDP, is poised to influence the APC’s standing in the region and alter the balance of power in Delta State.
Okowa and Oborevwori’s exit from the PDP marks the culmination of a series of political realignments that have been unfolding across Nigeria, and signals a new chapter in Delta State’s political trajectory as they seek to consolidate power within the APC framework.
The move is likely to increase tensions within the PDP, which has now lost a prominent figure and key party structure in one of Nigeria’s most politically significant states.
The APC, on the other hand, is expected to leverage this shift in their efforts to make inroads into traditionally PDP-dominated areas ahead of the upcoming elections.
