Delta governor absent as progressive governors’ forum welcomes defectors to APC
Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, was noticeably absent on Saturday night when the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF) met in Abuja to welcome new entrants into the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), despite his recent defection from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Oborevwori, who won election in 2023 under the PDP, officially dumped the party earlier this week alongside his predecessor, Ifeanyi Okowa, citing strategic reasons for aligning Delta State’s political structure with the APC. Their departure, along with a large section of the PDP in the South-South state, has sparked intense political debate nationwide.
Saturday’s meeting, held at the Imo Governor’s Lodge in Abuja, saw the attendance of prominent APC figures including Senator Ned Nwoko (Delta North), the Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, former Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege, APC National Secretary Felix Morka, and ex-governorship candidate Great Ogboru, among others.
The recent wave of defections, particularly from Delta State, is seen by analysts as a significant blow to the PDP’s prospects of reclaiming power in the 2027 general elections, especially with Okowa the PDP’s 2023 vice-presidential candidate now backing the APC.
However, leading PDP figures like former Ondo State military governor Bode George, ex-Senate President Bukola Saraki, and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, have downplayed the defections. They expressed confidence that the PDP will bounce back stronger.
“What impact has the APC, as a government, given to the people? There is anger in the land,” Bode George said, adding that defections motivated by personal gain would eventually reverse. “The people of Delta are naturally PDP members. Those who left eventually came back in the past, and we expect the same.”
The realignment of forces in Delta State adds fresh dynamics to Nigeria’s political landscape, ahead of the 2027 polls.
