A political tsunami swept through Delta State yesterday as Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, his predecessor Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, state lawmakers, council chairmen, and key PDP stakeholders officially defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC). The historic event, held at the Cenotaph in Asaba, turned into a mega-rally as Vice President Kashim Shettima and 16 APC governors welcomed the defectors amid a sea of supporters. The massive crowd led to a stampede, with three people collapsing—two were revived on-site, while a young man was rushed to the hospital.
Vice President Shettima declared the defection a game-changer for Nigeria’s South-South region, calling it a "tsunami of the highest proportion." He emphasized that the APC was now the undisputed dominant party in Delta, with the governor, his cabinet, legislators, and local leaders all switching allegiance. "We welcome you not as defectors but as family," Shettima proclaimed. "This is proof that our party stands for progress, accountability, and unity."
APC National Chairman Abdullahi Ganduje hailed the move as a triumph for President Bola Tinubu’s leadership, urging Governor Oborevwori to take charge of the party’s state structure. "The governor is now the leader of APC in Delta," Ganduje declared. "This is the beginning of greater victories."
In his acceptance speech, Oborevwori described the switch as a "movement," not mere politics. "Actions speak louder than words," he said. "The President has shown us love, and we must reciprocate from within the ruling party, not the opposition."
The defection marks a stunning collapse of the PDP in Delta, a state it held for nearly a decade. With the APC now in control of the state’s political machinery, analysts predict a major shift in Nigeria’s South-South power dynamics ahead of the next election cycle.
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