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Okowa: We Moved to APC for Good of Delta

•Tinubu to Defectors: You’re co-owners of APC, not party’s guests

•Ganduje,  Uzodimma, Otu, Nwoko, Keyamo, others welcome new members

Deji Elumoye, Chuks Okocha in Abuja, Omon-Julius Onabu in Asaba, Sylvester Idowu in Warri and Bassey Inyang in Calabar

Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, yesterday, described the change of party by the entire Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) structure in the state to the All Progressives Congress (APC) as a movement, and not defection.

In the same breath, his predecessor and former vice-presidential candidate of the PDP in the 2023 elections, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, said they left the opposition party because there was a resource in Abuja that Delta State needed to connect to.

But President Bola Tinubu, who received the duo in Asaba, Delta State, told them and their supporters that they were now co-owners of the party, not guests.

Reiterating his stand, Oborevwori described the defection as a historic movement in the best interest of the state, assuring of his readiness to unify the party for future electoral victories.

He said, “What you have seen here today is a movement, it’ is not a defection; it’s a movement. We have done consultations with our National Assembly members, with leadership, with stakeholders at the state level, at the senatorial level, at the local government level, at the ward level and we all decided that we must all join.

“This is Delta State; we cannot carry last. When we stand for something, we remain committed to it; we have been in opposition for almost 10 years.

“Do we need that? Mr. President has supported us; he has shown us love. We cannot face him in 2027 to work against him. That love that he has shown to us in Delta State, we need to reciprocate it.

“We cannot do it in our own party. We have to be inside to do it, and to do it well. When you consult widely you see everybody will come with you and you can see that the love is organic: you can see my relationship with governors; you see all the governors here.

“You see the large number of governors: yesterday nine came and slept over. Today, see all of them here. I want to bless all of you; I want to thank all of you.

“This is a movement, this is not a defection; we have agreed we will move together and when we move together, what is at the national we will be able to grab it.”

The governor added, “Our members in the National Assembly, they are the next; they have agreed they will all defect on the floor of the house, and we have justification to move.

“All of us want to be in the Renewed Hope Agenda, which is in line with my M.O.R.E Agenda. For us in Delta State, it’s a statement and I believe other governors will join because it’s a movement and when you have a movement, you don’t fail.”

Oborevwori spoke on insinuations about factionalisation in Delta State APC.

He stated, “There are some things people say in newspapers, that there is confusion; there is a faction in Delta APC. As I have come, there will be no faction again. Let me tell you, the governor takes charge, and we are taking charge.

“I don’t believe in any faction, whether Omo-Agege or Keyamo faction, everybody must queue and we will unite the party to move this state forward for the benefit of our people and to bring development, peace and unity to our state and Nigeria.”

On his part, Okowa said, “People wondered why, but one thing is very important: in the history of a people there is always a time to change their path for the common good of the people, and whatever decision we took was based on that common good and the need to change our path in the best interest of our state.

“As I did tell people that day (when I defected), it was not about me; it was not about the governor, but about the fact that there is a need for us to connect to Abuja.

“That goodwill that is in Abuja, that resource that is in Abuja, of which Delta State is a large contributor — there was a need to connect to it.

“I was governor for eight years; I was in opposition. I did my best, but we lost a lot, and I did not believe that the governor needed to stay working very hard without the needed support.

“We are very supportive of Governor Sheriff because he’s doing a lot, but as the governor is doing a lot for us, he also needs to connect to the greater source of power, resources, and goodwill in Abuja. When we sat down after stakeholders’ meetings, we thought it was necessary to make this move.”

He described the decision as “bold, strategic, patriotic, and well-intentioned,” urging party members to unite and work together, saying the defection would strengthen the APC in Delta.

“We must defend our state. Our state stands far beyond us, and I believe that this decision is in the best interest of all. It is time for us to embrace each other — our brothers and sisters who were already in the APC and those of us that have come into the family.

“We need to embrace each other and work with oneness of heart.  It is time for us to stand together in great support for Mr President and Mr Governor, because together we can truly dominate the politics in Delta State. I believe there will be no other party, with this move that we have made.”

Tinubu, represented by Vice-President Kashim Shettima, also described the occasion as a “testimony to the enduring promise” of APC, saying the ruling party is both the dream and drama of Nigerian democracy.

Tinubu stressed the need for unity and collaboration, and emphasised that the new members were joining as equals in the ruling party.

But former governor of the state and prominent member of APC, Chief James Ibori, was absent at the event, as the entire PDP leadership in Delta State joined his party.

Describing the new APC entrants as giants in Nigerian politics, the president declared, “You are not guests in this house; you are now co-owners, this is now as much your party as it is ours.

“What can be greater than the promise of this day? This is a political tsunami of unimaginable proportion that has never happened in the history of the South-south region and barely in the history of this country.

“A political tsunami of this proportion has never happened where all the members of the upper chamber of the National Assembly are in the APC.

“The speaker and all the members of the House of Assembly. So many members of the House of Representatives, the governor and his entire cabinet, and 500 councillors across the 25 local government areas of this great state. What testimony do you have greater than this?”

Tinubu highlighted the significance of their decision to join APC, saying, “The true measure of a political party lies not merely in the enthusiasm of its members, but in the conviction it inspires among those who once stood across from them.”

Welcoming the new members into the party, the president stated that they were joining the party “not as defectors but as brothers and sisters, who have found their rightful place among” the APC faithful.

He maintained that the new members were joining the governing party as family and “as fellow architects of a better Nigeria.”

He explained APC’s philosophy of governance and party politics, pointing out that “what sets the APC apart is not an illusion of uniformity; it is our acceptance that differences are inevitable and that greatness lies in managing them.”

The president said, “Our tables have always been tables of dialogue, places where every member, no matter how great or small, is welcomed to air their grievances, challenge our direction, and shape our future.”

Tinubu also reflected on the party’s journey right from inception, saying, “Since its formation in 2013, the APC has been both the dream and the drama of Nigerian democracy. So many predictions have been written about us as though we were an experiment doomed to fail.”

He credited the party’s longevity to its collaborative approach, observing that “dialogue, not dictation, has been our shield against disintegration.”

Tinubu said there was no way APC could have survived this long without listening to one another.

He stated, “Today is not merely a day of receiving new members. This is a declaration that the spirit of our great nation is alive — a spirit that dreams beyond personal ambition, beyond party lines, and sees the larger arc of history.

“Nigeria is greater than all of us, and what we do here today is a step towards strengthening her promise.

“This historic day, therefore, is both a celebration of the enduring promise of the APC and a tribute to the vision, courage, and foresight of the great giants we have come to welcome into the hall of fame of our political party, along with their devoted followers who are joining us today.”

Tinubu said, “I want to pay special tribute to Senator Ifeanyi Okowa for the wonderful relationship that exists between him and his successor. Senator Okowa, you are indeed a great leader and Governor Oborevwori, for embracing him, for treating him with respect and decorum, you are even a greater leader.”

The president added, “We are here with our unshaken belief in the power of collaboration, the understanding that we are stronger together than we can ever be, apart.

“Your Excellencies, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and the other great men and women, we welcome you to the APC today.”

He also said, “I bring them the warm assurance of His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and all members of the APC.

“Now that you have come, we are all co-owners because, according to the constitution of the party, the governor of the party is the leader of the party in the state, this is now as much as your party as it is ours.

“You have brought to us a wealth of experience, a breath of wisdom and a measure of strength for which we shall always remain grateful.

“We welcome you not as guests but as family; we welcome you as fellow architects of a better Nigeria, and may this day be remembered not just by what it signifies today but for the enduring fraternity and vision of source for tomorrow.”

Earlier, National Chairman of APC, Abdullahi Ganduje, said it was a historic day, and described the defection of the Delta State governor as a political legacy.

Ganduje thanked Tinubu for providing good leadership that had attracted more credible persons into the APC fold.

 According to him, “The National Working Committee of our party is happy with this decision of the governor, and we are impressed with the cordial relationship existing between the governor and his predecessor, Dr Okowa.”

Formally accepting the Delta State governor into APC, Ganduje handed over the flag of the party and a broom, the main symbol of APC, to Oborevwori.

He thanked Shettima and all APC governors, who attended the occasion, and informed them that more eminent Nigerians were on their way to APC.

Chairman of Progressive Governors’ Forum and Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, said it was a special day for APC because of the wealth of experience of the Delta State governor.

Uzodimma said the ideology of APC covered protection of the national interest and improvement of the lives of Nigerians.

“We are joyful and hopeful. Our party, the APC, protects national interest and expands the hope horizon,” Uzodimma said.

Commending the development strides of the governor as progressive, Uzodimma said, “Today, when I was driving into Asaba this afternoon, I saw development, I saw the performance of the governor, I saw infrastructure. The state looks like an APC state.

“So, I’m not surprised that the governor, in his wisdom, decided to join our great party because what we are known for is what he is already doing in Delta State.”

Some of the governors in attendance were those of Kwara, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq; Gombe, Mohammed Inuwa Yahaya; Yobe, Mai Mala Buni; Lagos, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Benue, Hyacinth Alia; Nasarawa, Engr. Abdullahi Sule; Sokoto, Ahmed Aliyu; Ogun, Dapo Abiodun; Cross River, Bassey Otu; Borno, Babagana Zulum; Kaduna, Uba Sani; Ekiti, Biodun Oyebanji; Kogi, Usman Ododo; and Ebonyi, Francis Nwifuru.

Other dignitaries were the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu; Senator Adams Oshiomhole; Minister of Regional Development, Mr. Abubakar Momoh; Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo; Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Bagudu, and former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege.

Defections to APC Driven by Tinubu’s Performance, Not Mere Politics, Otu Asserts

Cross River State Governor, Senator Bassey Otu, said the growing wave of defections to APC was driven by Tinubu’s performance, and not political calculations.

In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Nsa Gill, Otu described the entry of Oborevwori into APC as not just a political move, but also a thoughtful and courageous response to growing aspirations for a better Delta State, a more prosperous Niger Delta, and a stronger Nigeria.

He emphasised that Cross River, which had for years stood as the lone APC-governed state in the South-south, now proudly shared the progressive banner with Delta and Edo states; marking a new dawn of strengthened political realignment in the region.

“An increasing number of South-south states under APC governance is a dream realised,” Otu said.

He highlighted Tinubu’s transformational leadership, saying it has inspired trust, value reorientation, infrastructure rebirth, and economic rejuvenation across the country.

Nwoko to Oborevwori: Leave Behind PDP’s Old Habits

The senator for Delta North, Ned Nwoko, advised Oborevwori to leave “old habits” of PDP behind as he joined APC.

Following Oborevwori’s defection, Nwoko, in a statement addressed to the governor, advised him to ensure his move to APC was transformative.

Although he commended the governor for dumping PDP, Nwoko advised him to leave behind “old deals” that destroyed the opposition party in Delta State.

Nwoko told Oborevwori, in the statement, “Leave behind the politics of survival and step into the politics of legacy. No one pours new wine into old wineskins. Old habits, old politics, and the old deals that led to the gradual decline of the PDP in Delta must be left behind.

“Let me remind you, this agenda was declared a done deal by the party leadership long before your defection, a testament to the APC commitment to correcting historical imbalances and ending regional marginalisation.”

Keyamo: Oborevwori Now Our Leader

Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, said members of APC in Delta were now loyal to Oborevwori as the political leader of the state.

Speaking in a viral video during a meeting with Oborevwori and the three APC senators from the state, Keyamo said the APC structure in Delta State was now fully under the governor’s control.

He stated, “We are here today as one unit, the gatekeepers of the party. These are the gatekeepers of the party in Delta State. The three senators… the three are seated here.

“The only member of the House of Representatives, the only single one, is here.

“These are the gatekeepers, like I said, of the APC in Delta. Outside this group, there is no APC in Delta. If decisions are to be taken, these are the people that sit down with the state chairman to take a decision regarding the APC. If anybody tells you otherwise, the person must be a comedian.”

Keyamo said Oborevwori would now be relied on to provide direction for APC in Delta.

He said, “We are here, Sir, to wholeheartedly, hundred per cent, welcome you to the APC. We welcome you unconditionally, Sir. I repeat, Sir, we welcome you unconditionally to the APC.”