The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has vowed to pursue legal action following the defection of Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, and numerous party stakeholders to the All Progressives Congress (APC). The party’s leadership condemned the move as a betrayal of the electorate’s mandate, insisting that those who defected must relinquish their positions since they were elected on the PDP platform.
At a press briefing in Abuja yesterday, the PDP’s acting National Chairman, Ambassador Umar Damagum, announced that the party had instructed its legal team to challenge the defections in court. He argued that the Electoral Act mandates that officials who abandon the party under which they were elected must forfeit their seats.
Damagum also revealed that the PDP had dissolved its Delta State executive structure and handed over control to the South-South Zonal Caretaker Committee, led by Mr. Emma Ogidi. The committee has been tasked with rebuilding the party’s presence in the state and identifying new leaders to replace those who defected.
The PDP chairman dismissed the defections as a temporary setback, expressing confidence that the party would recover and emerge stronger. He announced that the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) would meet on May 27, 2025, to ratify decisions on the way forward, while a national convention has been tentatively scheduled for late August.
Meanwhile, Senator Adolphus Wabara, Chairman of the PDP’s Board of Trustees, downplayed the impact of the defections, describing them as a blessing in disguise. He predicted that the APC would soon implode due to internal conflicts arising from the influx of new members.
In a separate interview, former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa defended his decision to defect, stating that he had informed former Vice President Atiku Abubakar before making the move. He dismissed claims that his defection was influenced by pressure from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), insisting that he had nothing to fear from anti-graft agencies.
Okowa also criticized the PDP’s current leadership, arguing that the party had strayed from its founding principles. He suggested that Nigerian political parties lacked clear ideologies, serving merely as vehicles for electoral contests rather than platforms for governance.
The defections have sparked mixed reactions across the political landscape, with some analysts viewing them as a strategic realignment ahead of the 2027 elections. However, the PDP remains adamant that it will reclaim its lost ground through legal and political means.
As the crisis unfolds, attention is now focused on the courts and the upcoming PDP NEC meeting, which could determine the party’s future trajectory. Observers are also watching the APC for signs of internal discord, as warned by Wabara, who believes the ruling party’s rapid expansion may lead to destabilization.
The developments in Delta State mark a significant shift in Nigeria’s political dynamics, with potential repercussions for both the PDP and APC as the country moves closer to the next general elections.
