Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, was notably absent from the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF) meeting held in Abuja on Saturday night.
Naijaonpoint reports that the meeting was aimed at welcoming new members into the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). His absence raised questions, especially after his recent defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC.
Oborevwori, who emerged victorious in the 2023 elections under the PDP banner, made a significant political move earlier this week by joining the APC, citing multiple reasons for his decision.
Despite being a recent addition to the ruling party, he did not attend the PGF gathering, which brought together key political figures within the APC.
Governor Oborevwori’s defection, alongside his predecessor, Ifeanyi Okowa and the entire PDP structure in Delta State, marked a significant shift in the state’s political landscape.
The group announced that they were merging their political structure with the APC, believing the latter provided a more robust platform for the oil-rich state.
In a statement, the governor and other PDP members emphasised that their move was motivated by what they described as the APC’s superior political structure for the state’s development, signalling a shift in the South-South region’s political alignment.
While Oborevwori did not attend, the PGF meeting was attended by several notable APC leaders, including Senator Ned Nwoko (Delta North), Minister of Aviation Festus Keyamo, former Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege, APC National Secretary Felix Morka, and former Delta governorship candidate Great Ogboru.
Other members of the National Assembly also joined the gathering, which symbolised the APC’s growing influence in the region.
The recent defections from PDP to APC, especially that of prominent figures like Okowa, who was the PDP vice-presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, have sparked debates across the political spectrum.
Analysts argue that these defections represent a significant setback for the PDP’s hopes of reclaiming power in 2027.
However, key PDP chieftains, including Bode George, former Senate President Bukola Saraki, and ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar, remain unfazed by the developments. They have expressed confidence that the party will recover and regroup for the next general elections.
George, in a recent appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, downplayed the defections, questioning the APC’s true impact on the people.
“What impact has the APC, as a government, given to the people? There is anger in the land. What do you think they are going to do there, if not for personal embellishment?” George, a former Ondo State military governor, remarked.
George also reflected on the political loyalty of Delta State residents, noting that the people of Delta were historically aligned with the PDP, a sentiment he believes will endure despite the recent defections.
“The people of Delta are naturally PDP members. They know the kind of positive impact they enjoyed under the PDP national government. So, if you now decide to go, we wish you the best of luck. We’ve seen it before—those who trooped out eventually came back, because they’re heading into an organisation that is so personally owned,” George concluded.