By Unue Emeka,
AGBOR/Nigeria: Senator representing Delta North, Ned Nwoko, has declared that Delta State Governor, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, is not welcome in the All Progressives Congress (APC), as he vowed the party would decisively defeat the governor and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2027 general elections.
Nwoko made the statement during a high-profile rally in Agbor, Ika North East Local Government Area, which marked a major political shift in the state following the official defection of the Delta Unity Group (DUG) in Ika Federal Constituency from the PDP to the APC. The event, attended by APC National Chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, and former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, signaled a growing momentum for the APC in Delta State.
Amid mounting speculation about Oborevwori’s alleged plan to defect to the APC—a claim repeatedly denied by his media aides—Nwoko issued a blunt rejection: “Oborevwori wants to come to APC, but tell him to stay where he is. He will be defeated. We don’t want him in APC.” He linked the governor’s rumored interest in switching parties to President Tinubu’s reported desire to capture Delta in 2027, but insisted the APC can win the state without Oborevwori’s involvement.
Nwoko, a former PDP member who recently joined the APC, exuded confidence in the party’s capacity to end PDP’s 25-year dominance in the state. “Delta will surely become an APC state come 2027. Twenty-five years of corrupt governance by the PDP is enough. The time has come for change,” he said. “As you go home, tell them the next governor of Delta State will be formed by the APC. We are emboldened by the defection of major groups like the DUG.”
The senator’s stance was echoed by Senator Omo-Agege, who noted that while the APC welcomes fresh members from other parties, Oborevwori and his predecessor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, are exceptions. He asserted that the APC’s growing strength—bolstered by the defection of over 60 percent of PDP members since 2023—puts the party in a strong position to sweep the 2027 polls at all levels in Delta State.
Political observers caution that allowing Oborevwori into the APC could destabilize the party and alienate voters seeking a clean break from the PDP era. Nwoko further used the platform to reaffirm APC’s support for the creation of Anioma State, accusing the PDP of resisting the proposal in a bid to retain centralized control in the current Delta structure. The crowd responded with thunderous applause, reinforcing the mounting support for state creation and opposition to the governor’s rumored defection.
The rally, underscored by the mass defection of the DUG, is being viewed as a critical turning point in Delta politics, with the APC now positioned to mount a serious challenge to the PDP’s long-standing grip ahead of the 2027 elections.
