MASSIVE POLITICAL EARTHQUAKE ROCKS DELTA STATE AS GOVERNOR OBOREVWORI, SENATOR DR. OKOWA, HON. ESEWEZIE, ONLGA CHAIRMAN, AND KEY LEADERS JOIN APC.
In a political spectacle that has sent shockwaves across Nigeria, the Vice President, His Excellency Senator Kashim Shettima, and the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, today officially received the Governor of Delta State, His Excellency Rt. Hon. (Elder) Sheriff Oborevwori, his predecessor, Senator Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, the Executive Chairman of Oshimili North Local Government Area, Hon. Chief Innocent Esewezie, and a total unprecedented twenty-five Local Government Council Chairmen into the ruling party.
The Cenotaph in Asaba, the state capital, served as the symbolic venue for this historic event, which drew an estimated crowd of over 50,000 enthusiastic supporters and APC faithful. The sheer scale of the defection has already been dubbed “the biggest defection in the history of Nigeria,” signaling a potential seismic shift in the political landscape of the oil-rich Delta State and the wider South-South region.
Vice President Shettima, in his welcoming address, extended a warm embrace to the former leaders and their supporters. Striking a conciliatory tone, he stated, “We welcome you, not as defectors but as brothers in progress. Starting from today, see the Party as your own.” This statement underscores the APC’s eagerness to integrate these influential figures and their extensive political machinery into their fold.
The presence of both the Vice President and the National Chairman of the APC highlights the national significance the ruling party attaches to these high-profile defections. It is widely speculated that this strategic move is aimed at consolidating the APC’s presence in the South-South, a region traditionally dominated by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the former political platform of Governor Oborevwori, Senator Okowa, and the defecting council chairmen.
Hon. Chief Innocent Esewezie’s move is particularly noteworthy as a key grassroots mobilizer within his local government, and his decision to join the APC likely influenced the decisions of the numerous Council Chairmen who followed suit. The simultaneous defection of such a large contingent of local government leaders signifies a deep and potentially widespread shift in political allegiance at the grassroots level.
While the immediate implications of this massive defection are still unfolding, political analysts suggest it could significantly alter the balance of power in Delta State, potentially paving the way for the APC to gain a stronger foothold in future elections. The move also raises questions about the future of the PDP in the state and the broader South-South geopolitical zone.
The atmosphere at the Cenotaph was electric, with jubilant APC supporters celebrating what they see as a major coup for
