Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori and his predecessor, Ifeanyi Okowa, have dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Others include the Speaker of the State House of Assembly and members elected on the platform of the PDP, the pioneer chairman of the PDP in the State, James Manager, followed joined Oborevwori in the defection that was announced after series of closed-door meetings between Governor Oborevwori, Okowa and political leaders of the PDP stock in the State on Wednesday in Asaba.
This is the first time PDP will be losing grip of Delta State to any opposition party since 1999 when Nigeria returned to Democratic rule.
Mr Manager who blamed the crisis rocking the national leadership of the party for their defection, said the decision was taken in consultation with various stakeholders across the State.
“You have just been told about some of the things that have been happening in the PDP Delta State. Some consultations have been going on and the climax of these consultations is what you are seeing today.
“We have discussed and have disagreed to agree and it is a unanimous agreement. I am the pioneer state chairman of the PDP. But you cannot be in a boat that is already capsizing because I am a riverine man.
“Looking at issues the way they are, we have come to the inevitable conclusion to do something else. It is a collective decision for so many reasons.
“Few days ago, there was a resolution taken by the PDP Governor’s forum at Ibadan. Almost all the Governor’s where there and they resolved that they are not going into coalition with any other party.
“But as disadvantaged as the PDP is now with about 11 Governors, how do you go into a contest with an incumbent president? You think you can win? That particular resolution killed the spirit of so many PDP members.
“We lost election in 2015 as a result of a merger which even included splinter groups from the PDP. There are also other reasons.
“Today Senator Anyanwu is the National Secretary of the party tomorrow is another person. The party must be position to go into an election to win. So you see that it is becoming very funny. The PDP is truly in trouble.
“If you look well, the current PDP state chairman was in the meeting, the governor was there, the Deputy governor, the immediate past governor, the speaker. All of these persons were in the meeting. National Assembly members and even the House of Assembly members. The who is who in Delta State was in the meeting to make this decision.”
Also speaking, the State Commissioner for Works (Rural Roads) and Public Information, Mr. Charles Aniagwu, said the decision became necessary following the unfortunate happenings at the national level of the party.
“For some time now the media, particularly the social media have been awash as to what political decisions that we are going to be taking in Delta.
“While that was on, the governor and the leaders of the party have been very busy carrying out some necessary consultations and it is also part of that consultation that has resulted in this meeting today for the leaders of the PDP to be able to advise as to what necessary steps that needed to be taken.
“It is said that when the taste of the palm wine changes, the drinking pattern also changes and the leaders of the party were unanimous in their view that the political temperature has changed.
“And there was a need for change that will help cement the development in our state; to build the bond of love that has existed in our state and to further advance the security and welfare of our people.
“Like you know, every politics is local. So in taking this decision, we came to the inevitable conclusion that moving out of the PDP is very necessary for us to collaborate with our kits and kin and build that bond that we have been enjoying.
“We believe that what is happening in the PDP at the national can be likened to that Palm wine whose taste has changed and that is why this decision has been taken.
“By the grace of God, on Monday next week, we would be able to make a bold statement that we are moving to the APC.”
With Oborevwori now in APC colours, the South‑South’s political map tightens as the new alignment enhances President Bola Tinubu’s re‑election calculus by adding roughly 1.4 million Delta votes to the ruling party.
At the meeting, all stakeholders, leaders and members of the PDP resolved to join Governor Sheriff Oborevwori to move to the APC and would be received at a rally by Vice President, Kashim Shettima at the Cenotaph, in Asaba, on Monday.
