By Osita Biose
Delta State’s political landscape is undergoing a seismic shift. The recent mass defection of Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, his predecessor, Sen (Dr) Ifeanyi Okowa and other key loyalists of the state’s political structure from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) has sent shockwaves across the state’s power corridors.
The drama, which many insiders say had been brewing for months, has left both the PDP and the APC grappling with new realities and fresh uncertainties.
This development brutally exposes the internal rot within the PDP. Years of complacency, unresolved factional battles, and questionable leadership choices have hollowed out the party’s foundations. Now, as familiar faces cross over to the APC, the PDP faces an existential threat not seen since the dawn of Nigeria’s Fourth Republic. Party elders and traditional stakeholders who once brokered peace and unity within the PDP are either sidelined or disillusioned, leaving a vacuum that ambitious defectors are eager to exploit.
Meanwhile, the APC, which for years was seen as a fringe contender in Delta State, is poised to capitalize on the PDP’s implosion. But success is far from guaranteed. Analysts warn that the influx of defectors, some of whom carry their own political baggage, could ignite fresh tensions within the APC’s ranks. The challenge for the APC leadership will be to manage the competing ambitions of old loyalists and new powerbrokers without fracturing the fragile coalition they are building.
Adding to the high stakes, Vice President Kashim Shettima is scheduled to formally receive the defectors on Monday at a high-profile rally in Asaba. The event is being billed as a “political earthquake,” and sources close to the APC camp hint that more high-ranking PDP figures may yet jump ship before the 2027 general elections. This looming ceremony will not just be a celebration, it will also serve as a symbolic autopsy of the PDP’s hold on Delta State.
Beyond the public spectacle, both parties face a deeper reckoning. For the PDP, the question is whether it can reform itself fast enough to stave off further hemorrhage. For the APC, it is whether it can mature from a coalition of discontented PDP elements into a truly cohesive and disciplined party ready for governance.
Observers also note the significance of the timing. With economic hardships biting harder across Nigeria, public patience for political gamesmanship is wearing thin. Voters in Delta, once a guaranteed bloc for the PDP are watching closely to see if either party can offer more than empty slogans. In an era when trust in political institutions is at an all-time low, missteps could have long-lasting consequences.
As the dust settles, one thing is clear: the old order is crumbling in Delta State. Whether the coming realignment leads to genuine political renewal or merely a reshuffling of the same tired players remains to be seen.
For now, all eyes are on Monday, and on the political autopsy Vice President Shettima is about to perform.
