Former Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, has explained why he and Governor Sheriff Oborevwori recently defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC). Speaking on Monday at a ceremony held at the Cenotaph in Asaba, where they were officially received into the APC, Okowa said the decision was made in the best interest of Delta State and its people.
“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,” Okowa stated.
He explained that the move was necessary to enable Delta State to have a stronger connection with the federal government and to benefit more directly from the resources and goodwill available in Abuja. Reflecting on his time in office, Okowa said, “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.”
He stressed that both he and Governor Oborevwori considered the broader development of Delta State when making the decision, adding that it was not for personal gain. “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,” he said.
Okowa described their defection as a “bold, strategic, patriotic, and well-intentioned” decision taken after consultations with stakeholders. He called on APC members to embrace unity and work together to strengthen the party’s position in Delta State.
“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,” Okowa urged.
He also emphasized the importance of supporting both President Bola Tinubu and Governor Oborevwori to ensure political dominance in Delta State. “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,” he said.
Okowa, Oborevwori, and other members of the PDP in Delta State announced their defection to the APC last week, a move that has continued to stir reactions across political circles in the state and beyond.
