Delta State Governor Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori has officially crossed from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), marking a significant political realignment in the oil-rich state.
The defection was announced Wednesday evening after a closed-door meeting at the Government House in Asaba, with Governor Oborevwori’s Chief Press Secretary Sir Festus Ahon stating the move followed “extensive consultations with political stakeholders” and was made “in Delta State’s long-term development interest.”
The governor, who won the 2023 gubernatorial election on the PDP platform, was formally received by top APC national officials in a ceremony signaling the ruling party’s expanding influence in the South-South region. Political analysts immediately flagged the defection as having major implications for the 2027 general elections, potentially reshaping the balance of power in one of Nigeria’s most politically strategic states.
“This calculated move grants the APC its first governorship foothold in Delta since 2015,” noted University of Port Harcourt political science professor Ebere Onwudiwe. “It significantly weakens the PDP’s stronghold in the Niger Delta region ahead of the next electoral cycle.”
The defection comes amid ongoing tensions within Delta’s PDP faction, with sources suggesting disagreements over federal relations and party leadership influenced the governor’s decision. Oborevwori is expected to formally address Deltans on the political transition in a statewide broadcast Thursday morning.
APC National Chairman Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje hailed the development as “a testament to President Tinubu’s unifying leadership,” while PDP officials declined immediate comment, stating they would respond after emergency National Working Committee meetings. Observers now await potential domino effects as other PDP governors and lawmakers may reconsider their political alignments.
