The move to leave PDP and join the APC was a well calculated and planned script by a major actor and two minor actors. The major actor was James Ibori, a former governor of the state and an old ally of President Bola Tinubu, while the two minor actors were Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, immediate past governor of Delta state and Governor Sheriff Oborewheri. It was a well plotted political horse trading a source privy to the entire episode told this Reporter.
The magazine gathered that Chief Ibori quietly moved his political family to APC shortly after the PDP governorship primaries in Delta State and through Ibori’s influence coupled with the role played by DSP Ovie Omo-Agege, Stella Okotete, Festus Keyamo and so on, the APC won two Senatorial seats, one House of Representatives and many Houses of Assembly seats. After the last Presidential election, Chief James Ibori a long standing friend of the President was contacted by President Bola Tinubu to do the job of returning Delta state to APC. The massive wave of defection which greeted Delta State on Wednesday, 23 of April, 2024, was therefore the peak of the political horse trading and under ground work. A source told this magazine’s Reporter that the massive defection was nothing but an end product of a well calculated political maneuvering ahead of 2027.
The first sign that something was in the offing was when the EFCC arrested, Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, immediate past governor of Delta state and vice presidential candidate to Atiku Abubakar during the 2023 presidential election. After his release, it was rumoured that for the former governor to have his alleged sins forgiven, he will cross over to the ruling party. But for a man who made sure that the incumbent governor emerged as the PDP governorship candidate before he went ahead to win the governorship election, leaving his anointed governor in PDP then go and join the ruling party, the APC was a difficult and almost near impossible thing to do. Some secret meetings continued to hold until there was a Lee way.
Inside source say at one of the Federal Executive meetings, the President and Commander-in-Chief told the governors that he will support any of the opposition governors who were prepared to work for his second tenure. The Delta state governor who people generally regard as street wise later sent an emissary to the first mother of the nation after the federal executive meeting to let her know that he was prepared to work for the president’s second tenure. She in turn informed the President and that was the beginning of the exodus plan from the People Democratic Party, PDP. At the next Federal Executive Council meeting, Gov Sheriff Oborowheri was the one who raised the song ” On your mandate we stand “
Those with inside knowledge say the plot to leave PDP to join APC was taken as a plea bargain for Okowa and to use the opportunity to bargain a second tenure for the incumbent governor provided all the terms are adhered to strictly. Insider says the plot to dangle plea bargain option to Okowa was part of Chief Ibori’s input when he met with a top official of the government at the presidential villa as part of the plan to capture the state for President Tinubu ahead of 2027. And coming at a time that the core North is planning to unseat President Tinubu come 2027 presidential election, Chief Ibori’s suggestion was embraced and the rest became part of the script.
The information in the public domain which says “We have taken a decision to enhance development in our state, and we are confident that, in consultation with our people, this movement will deepen progress in Delta” was actually part of the strategy to keep the game plan to the chests of the actors.
The plan on the part of the actors is to make the public believe that the defection to APC is a mass movement of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and all members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta State to the All Progressives Congress (APC) owing to the persistent internal crisis within the PDP’s National Working Committee. And indeed who can fault this? More so when
Charles Aniagwu, Delta State information Commissioner got the people of Delta to accept this story when he said “Politics is about contesting elections, winning, and then governing the people. If you’re in a situation where it’s difficult to achieve those goals and continue the developmental trajectory, then it’s important to make a decision”.
Though his next statement revealed that so much water had passed under the bridge. He noted” Even while we were still in the PDP, the President showed us genuine, organic love. So moving toward such a person isn’t a difficult choice. We understand the concerns and sentiments across the country, but we’ve explained our reasons to our people and that is what makes democracy robust.”
The icing on the cake which revealed the true intentions of the minor actors was when the information Commissioner said ” We do not wish for the PDP to die now or ever. A viable opposition is essential for any democracy. But people must make decisions that help them realize their goals”.
Investigation revealed that part of the goal is for the incumbent governor to secure his second tenure and doing so under the PDP was to the governor a near impossible task because the ruling party had mapped out strategy to take over the entire South South in 2027 having succeeded with Edo State. Again, there was the carrot dangled before former governor Okowa to join the ruling party for his alleged N1.3 trillion case before the EFCC to be kept in the cooler.
At no time did the people of Delta State met to decide that they are moving emass to join the ruling party. Though they claimed Delta PDP Leaders consulted Royal Fathers before the historic APC exodus but the question is, are Royal fathers not fathers of all the leaders of the different political parties and the electorates?. Why would they align with Oborevwori to carry all Deltans into APC?
That again put a lie to the propaganda making the round that “we have taken a decision to enhance development in our state, and we are confident that, in consultation with our people, this movement will deepen progress in Delta.”
Aso Rock sources told the magazine reporter that the ruling party top hirachy believes that if the APC could capture Delta, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Lagos, Kaduna and Kano states among other Southern states and part of North Central ahead of the 2027 general elections, the 2027 presidential election will be a run over for the APC. Part of the strategy is to get the governors of the PDP states to fall into line. Expectedly, the Delta state governor was the first to fall in to the trap.
At the Delta APC stakeholders meeting held in Abuja on Saturday April 26
the National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje made it clear when he noted “The party in Delta State was built by someone and under that person the party won two Senatorial seat, won one House of Reps and several House of Assembly member seats”. Furthermore Ganduje made it clear that the President’s directive was that the structure of Delta APC remains with the party and the person who built the party won’t be undermined in anyway. Meaning that even if drum of joy was all over Delta, someone iniated the drumming that has captured the attention of the people.
Still those with inside knowledge say the National Chairman’s statement that the structure of Delta APC remains with the party and the person who built the party won’t be undermined is something that Sheriff and Okowa have to swallow no matter how bitter it was. However at the public show of the defection, it was stated that the governor of Delta state is now the leader of the party in the state.
This was to be expected because at another meeting of Five APC Governors with Delta APC key stakeholders to discuss Gov Sheriff Oborewheri defection, Gov. Hope Uzodinma of Imo State had pleaded for cooperation to receive Sheriff Oborewheri to enable the President have the entire South in APC to be able to confront the plan of the North to take power from APC come 2027
A day after the meeting of the five APC governors with Ovie Omo-Agege and other APC stakeholders in Delta State,
President Tinubu in a statement signed by his spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, noted that while political realignments may cause discomfort for the opposition, the claims of authoritarianism are baseless.He pointed out that no actions taken by this administration are aimed at suppressing democracy or promoting a one-party system. The President also clarified that the responsibility for managing the opposition lies with the opposition parties themselves, not the APC or the presidency. He equally dismissed reports that the defections were the result of coercion, bribery, or manipulation, stating that these claims lacked evidence and were a reflection of the opposition’s own struggles. He called on Nigerians to respect each other’s political choices and reject narratives designed to undermine the nation’s democratic foundations.
Interestingly, Vice president Kashim Shettima, who represented President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, while formally receiving Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State, former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, and their supporters into the All Progressives Congress (APC) said the new members who recently dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the APC are now co-owners of the governing party, and not guests, just as he described the occasion as a “testimony to the enduring promise” of the APC. Vice President Shettima, at Asaba, the Delta State capital where the event took place, stressed the need for unity and collaboration, emphasising that the new members were joining as equals in the ruling party.
“You are not guests in this house; you are now co-owners. This is now as much your party as it is ours,” VP Shettima said, describing the new APC entrants as giants in Nigerian politics.
The Vice President equally highlighted the significance of their decision to join the APC, saying, “The true measure of a political party lies not merely in the enthusiasm of its members, but in the conviction it inspires among those who once stood across from them.”
The Vice President explained the APC’s philosophy of governance and party politics, pointing out that “what sets the APC apart is not an illusion of uniformity; it is our acceptance that differences are inevitable and that greatness lies in managing them.
“Our tables have always been tables of dialogue, places where every member, no matter how great or small, is welcomed to air their grievances, challenge our direction, and shape our future,” he added.
He credited the party’s longevity to its collaborative approach, observing that “dialogue, not dictation, has been our shield against disintegration,” just as he said there was no way the party could have survived this long without listening to one another.
Earlier, National Chairman of the APC, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, said it was a historic day, even as he described the defection of the Delta State Governor as a political legacy.
Formally accepting the Delta State Governor into the APC, Ganduje handed over the flag of the party and a broom, the main symbol of the APC, to Oborevwori.
Speaking on behalf of the new APC entrants, Governor Oborevwori insisted that what happened in Delta State was a movement, not defection, explaining that all stakeholders of the state were part of the decision to move to the governing APC.
The Governor, who said Delta State could no longer be in the opposition, thus the change of gears, added that the state decided to reciprocate the love of President Tinubu, whom he said loves the state and has done a lot for it.
“All our members in the National Assembly have agreed that when plenary resumes, they will defect on the floor of the two chambers of the Assembly.
“All the state and ward executives of our party and representatives at all levels will move. We want to be in the Renewed Hope Agenda, which is in line with my agenda,” Oborevwori said, assuring that there will be no faction in the Delta State APC.
Also, former Governor of the state, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, said the people of the state decided to change their path for the common good of the citizens.
“This decision is in the best interest of the state. We need to connect to the centre to gain more democratic dividends. It is in the best interest of the state and the people. We need to embrace each other with the oneness of heart. I believe a great result will come forth from this decision,” Okowa assured.
Few days after the defection, the former Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, publicly expressed regret for accepting the vice-presidential nomination alongside Atiku Abubakar in the 2023 general election in a TV interview. In the interview Dr. Okowa acknowledged that most Deltans opposed the idea of another northerner assuming Nigeria’s presidency after President Muhammadu Buhari’s two terms. His candid admission underscores mounting tensions within the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) over zones of political balance and grassroots inclusion. What he failed to recognise was that some individuals set the traps that he and the incumbent governor along his executive fell into.
Meanwhile, Senator Ned Nwoko of Delta North senatorial district, has advised Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State to leave “old habits” of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) behind as he joined the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). According to Senator Ned Nwoko “Your defection must not be symbolic; it must be transformative. This is your opportunity to embrace a new sense of purpose and demonstrate renewed dedication to progressive governance, fairness, and inclusive development.
Curiously, Zik Gbemre, an activist said ” Agreed Governor Oborevwori and Okowa have indicated interest to join APC, but there is yet no evidence to show that Oborevwori and Okowa have resigned their membership of PDP in their home wards and no evidence to show they have joined APC at their home wards. Furthermore he noted ”
Oborevwori and Okowa can’t defect to APC at Asaba, Abuja and on the media. Do Oborevwori and Okowa vote in Asaba or Abuja during elections? Oborevwori, at all cost, wants to have one leg on PDP, one on APC. It’s Delta’s treasury he wants to empty to share all over the place to please the expectant gluttons who have sold their souls to glorify him.
Those with inside knowledge say the governor has actually budgeted 5 trillion Naira to spend in order to get the different factions in APC to fall into line. Already there are two core factions of APC in Delta state namely DSP Ovie Omo-Agege faction and Festus Keyamo’s faction. However, there are other leaders like O’tega Emerhor, who actually brought APC to Delta state and the likes of Chief James Ibori who after the fall out with Okowa over his choice of Oborevwori made him to move on to the APC and is silently regarded as the one who made all the present political actors in Delta State.
In order for Oborevwori’s second term bid to be achieved in the face of the different factions and leaders, Oborevwori is under pressure to open Delta vaults for ‘PDP share the money’ to ‘APC share the money’. This much was stated by Zik Gbemre.
Beyond this allegation, insiders who spoke to this Reporter noted that the defection represents a significant political realignment in Delta State, where the PDP has maintained strong influence since Nigeria’s return to democratic rule in 1999 they however believe that the mass movement will involve huge sharing of money.
Meanwhile, scheming and manovering are on going but some key stakeholders have been bold to tell both Okowa and Oborevwori to their face that they begged to come to the party out of fear so they should take whatever they are offered At another point they echoed “You have no power to successfully negotiate your way in a party that you pleaded to be admitted in.”
Curiously, one man at the center of the defection at the other side whose role and influence in the party can not be ignored in Delta state is DSP Ovie Omo-Agege. At the gathering to welcome Oborevwori, Okowa and other leaders into APC, Omo-Agege stated
” In line with outcomes of deliberations with the national leadership of our Party, the Progressive Governors Forum and Delta APC stakeholders, I wish to assure all stakeholders that any issues arising from this development are being carefully considered and managed with prudence and foresight, in the best interests of our party and our beloved state.
Furthermore, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, CFR, former Deputy President of the 9th Senate and Leader, APC Delta State affirmed that the defection reaffirms commitment to progressive governance, promising a brighter future for our people and a more prosperous, secure, and united Nigeria. But those with inside knowledge say the former Deputy Senate President is aggrieved but taking the matter with a pinch of salt.
Earlier, at a meeting in Government Asaba in the night of Sunday April 26 with the Governor of Delta State where three Senators representing Delta State, along with the only elected House of Representatives members, Francis Waiver and Stella Okotete as well as the Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo were present, Keyamo who is believed to lead the faction expressed the support of the group for the Delta State governor. Honourable Waiver, who was the first APC member to call on Oborevwori to join APC in an exclusive interview said:
Since I want my party to win, it becomes imperative that we field a candidate who is sure to win. Again the reality of the rotation of the governorship among the three senatorial zones favors him, as the other two zones would not trust any other candidate who is most likely going to do two terms. But more importantly, I am also a cleric and those who relate with me know that I have a prophetic touch to my ministry. Anytime I hear from God I am bold to declare what I hear. And to God’s glory he’s been faithful to his word. That is why I don’t get moved by those who do not see what I see and do not hear what I hear.
The big question is if Hon Waiver believes in Oborevwori, does DSP Ovie Omo-Agege want to drop his governorship ambition in 2027? Again, would Chief Ibori who felt betrayed by some of those he helped to gain national prominence and became elected top government officials, allow himself to be relegated to the background when indeed the ball is in his court? Effort to get both Chief Ibori and Omo-Agege were not successful.
Meanwhile, former Akwa Ibom State Deputy Governor, Ekpenyong, said more PDP governors, especially those seeking second terms, are preparing to leave the party. He pointed out that Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom has already declared his support for President Bola Tinubu and Senate President Godswill Akpabio, signaling a broader realignment away from the PDP.
Contrary to claims by Delta State government officials that the decision to join APC is in the best interest of the state, Veteran actor and politician Kenneth Okonkwo who criticized the recent wave of defections to the All Progressives Congress claimed that many politicians are switching parties out of fear.
Also an Activist, Comrade Victor Ojei (Wong Box)former SSA to the Governor on Civil Societies resigned from his position as Senior Special Assistant on Civil Societies and NGOs to Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, issuing a damning indictment of the government’s failure, inertia, and what he branded “voodoo governance.” Furthermore, in Ojei’s resignation letter, dated April 25, he accused the administration of deliberately stalling developmental projects, stifling innovation, and leaving the ordinary Deltan “to drown while the government claps.” Hence he noted that “Not one policy guarantees their safety. Not one hope touches their roof,”. “This cannot continue, and I refuse to be part of a system that watches our people drown.”Ojei declared
Reacting further to the recent political developments in Delta State, that has seen the 25 local government chairmen and their councilors across the state that were elected on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), a party whose ideals and governance mandates significantly differ from those of the All Progressives Congress (APC), to which the governor has now defected, those who spoke with the magazine Reporter said it is only fair and democratic that, with this platform change, all local government chairmen and their councilors be dissolved with immediate effect especially since their mandates were secured under the PDP’s ideology and promises to the people so that a fresh election can be organized to allow the people to decide who governs them at the grassroots level under the new APC leadership.
This demand, has however, drawn attention to a more pressing and ironic dilemma as the People Democratic Party (PDP) has announced plans to take legal action against Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, former Vice Presidential candidate Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, and the entire Delta PDP structure following their defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Speaking to journalists after the PDP’s first National Working Committee (NWC) meeting of the year, Acting National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Damagum, said the party is fully prepared to go to court.
“We are taking this matter up legally to reclaim our mandate,” he stated, stressing that those who defected were originally elected under the PDP platform.
Damagum said the party’s National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade, has been directed to begin legal proceedings against the defectors.
The party has also appointed Emma Ogidi, South-South Caretaker Chairman, to immediately assume control of PDP affairs in Delta State. Ogidi has been tasked with identifying fresh leadership for the state chapter. The zonal committee was directed to proceed to Delta State to assess the party’s assets and begin the process of recovering process.While that saga is on Bukola Saraki, former Senate president and former Governor of Kwara state said Okowa’s move was unprecedented and symptomatic of a deeper leadership crisis. Furthermore Saraki noted that what has happened ” Is shocking and unbecoming. It is a sign of how low we have sunk as a polity. In his reaction however Okowa maintained that Saraki has no moral right to comment about the defection because he too had once defected the PDP for the APC
A source close to the President alleged that the onslaughts against Oborevwori and Okowa have left no one in doubt that Oborevwori will need to spend money along with his influence as a governor of oil rich Delta State to get the governorship ticket come 2027
The presidency source says that Omo Agege is grumbling he is gradually loosing the APC leadership in Delta State and may move to the PDP. This was corroborated by the APC, Publicity Secretary, Delta State, Ebata Valentine Onojeghuo, when he revealed that an unidentified individual is attempting to overshadow the governor’s leadership in violation of the party’s constitutional provisions, which designate sitting governors as the leader of their state’s APC chapter.Even then, those with inside knowledge of the huge influence of some individuals from Delta State say some people are potentially ready to challenge Oborevwori’s leadership and second term ambition. How the internal dynamics which political watchers say would lead to a looming tussle would be solved remains a mystery.
When the Chief Press Secretary to governor Sheriff Oborevwori, Sir Festus Ahon was told that his boss would spend N5 trillion to settle those who maintains huge influence in the party and those with gubernatorial ambitions come 2027,his response was:
“This is very far from the truth. Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s defection is a collective decision of all stakeholders, after due consultations, aimed squarely at protecting Delta’s best interests.
In politics, there is no permanent friend or permanent enemy, but permanent interests. Right now, our interest is to align with the government at the centre for the benefit of Delta State and its people.
Governor Oborevwori, known for deep grassroots ties, did not act unilaterally in defecting: he did that after wide consultations with party leaders and stakeholders, across all levels; everyone agreed on the compelling imperative to move to the APC. It wasn’t just the governor’s call; it was the collective will of Delta PDP and even Non- partisan stakeholders in the Delta State Project.
The defection is to draw more Federal Government projects and other genres of its quality attention to the state.
For now, Governor Oborevwori ‘s conspicuous achievements in all sectors are speaking positively for him. Come 2027, we are confident that Deltans will campaign for him because of his outstanding accomplishments.
To answer your question, more concisely he didn’t join the APC to secure a second tenure, but for the best political interests of the state and Deltans. By the grace of God, his second tenure is already secured.
He doesn’t need to splash money on any political leader or leaders to get the APC gubernatorial ticket. He joined the APC from a point of strength. His defection to the APC is a boost to the party in Delta.
And the evidence in this direction finds great open expression in two ways- the sheer quality of the human and political assets that defected with him, and the evident warmth with which the APC family received him”.
Meanwhile, the allegation is spreading and certainly since Governor Oborevwori would likely seek his return ticket under the APC, certain individuals would be a thorn in the flesh of governor Oborevwori.
As at the time of going to press, there were further speculations that a storm is already brewing in Delta state APC and it was alleged that Okowa has called on a former chairman of PDP in Delta State to return to base to rescue the PDP with a promise of a Senatorial ticket if he is able to stand in the gap. This insider say is because the different camps are scrambling for dominance of the APC in Delta state and the heat appears unbelievable for the duo of Okowa and Governor Oborevwori.
As the political temperature continues to rise in Delta state, there are already speculations in Ika South, Okowa’s home base that the APC Chairman Hon. Hilary Fada Ibude has exposed what he called a “theatrics of loyalty,” revealing that a staggering 99.5% of new defectors have refused to formally register with the APC, rendering their allegiance meaningless. According to him:
“They made noise about joining us, but only 0.5% have taken the basic step of registration. We don’t deal with fence-sitters,” Ibude stated insisting further that commitment, not past political pedigree, would define roles within the party.
How Governor Oborevwori, the man in the face of the storm will handle governance and his personal ambition in the coming months ahead of allegation of money to be shared while the political bigwigs and gladiators of the Delta politics are strategically doing their things remain a conjuncture.
