Real reasons Delta Governor Obovrevwori dumped PDP for APC

In a political shake-up that ends nearly three decades of dominance by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta State, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori has officially joined the All Progressives Congress (APC), signaling a major power realignment in the oil-rich South-South region.

The announcement came on Wednesday after a high-level meeting at the Government House in Asaba, where key political figures from across the state gathered to deliberate on the future of the embattled PDP. James Manager, the founding chairman of PDP in Delta, confirmed the decision, describing it as the result of extensive consultations and a unified agreement among the state’s political heavyweights.

Present at the closed-door session were the governor, his deputy, the speaker of the state House of Assembly, former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, and nearly every PDP lawmaker from the state and national levels. “It was not a rushed decision,” Manager said. “We agreed this is the best path forward, given the national crisis within our party and the local realities on ground.”

For months, tension had simmered in the PDP, driven by unresolved leadership battles at the national level and growing dissatisfaction with the party’s strategic direction. A controversial resolution by the PDP Governors’ Forum to avoid forming alliances ahead of future elections particularly shook confidence. With only 11 governors remaining under the PDP’s banner, many insiders saw the decision as political suicide—especially when facing an incumbent president backed by a unified APC.

Manager, once a staunch PDP loyalist, put it bluntly: “You can’t stay on a ship that’s sinking. I’m from the riverine area—I know when to jump off.”

But it’s not just internal party issues that pushed Governor Oborevwori to switch sides. Political turbulence in Delta State itself played a crucial role. A lingering feud with former Governor James Ibori, who lost political control after Oborevwori bested his preferred candidate in the 2022 PDP primaries, has left the current governor isolated. Ibori, still influential and now aligned with President Bola Tinubu, remains a formidable force with deep ties to power brokers like ex-militant leader Government Ekpemupolo, better known as Tompolo.

With the death of elder statesman Edwin Clark, who had served as a counterbalance to Ibori’s clout, Oborevwori has seen his support base dwindle. Realizing he was politically outflanked, the governor opted to align with the APC in a bid to protect his seat and influence.

The fallout from the PDP’s decline has been swift. Senator Ned Nwoko, the party’s only senator from Delta, recently defected to the APC and has since emerged as a rising force in the Anioma region. Meanwhile, the PDP’s former strongman, ex-Governor Okowa, is under investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)—another blow to the party’s standing.

While it remains uncertain whether joining the APC will shield Okowa or others from legal scrutiny, what’s clear is that the political landscape in Delta State has changed dramatically. With Oborevwori now firmly in APC territory, the PDP’s grip on one of its last strongholds has officially come to an end.

Delta, once a fortress for the opposition, is now open ground—and the battle for 2027 has already begun.