By Ayo Kehinde
Former Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, had said his decision, along with Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and the entire structure of the Peoples Democratic Party in the State to join the All Progressives Congress was made in the best interest of the people.
The Vice-President Kashim Shettima and Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, the National Chairman of the APC, on Monday in Asaba, the Delta State capital, formally received Gov Oborevwori, former Governor Okowa and other leaders of the PDP who defected to the party.
Speaking at a ceremony attended by a mammoth crowd at the Cenotaph in Asaba, Okowa said they left their former party to connect with Abuja, Nigeria’s seat of power, to tap into its resources.
“It’s a great day for us in Delta State. When the news broke on Wednesday, the 23rd of April, 2025, that we had decided to change our path, people wondered why. But one thing is very important. In the history of a people, there is always a time to change our path for the common good of the people.
“As I did tell people that day, it was not about me, it was not about the governor, but the fact that there is a need for us to connect to Abuja, that goodwill that is in Abuja, that resource that’s in Abuja of which Delta State is a large contributor, there was a need to connect to it.
“And whatever decision that we took was based on that common good and the need to change our path in the best interest of our state”, he said.
Okowa described the defection of Delta political leaders to the APC as patriotic and strategic, saying Delta lost a lot during his tenure because the state was in opposition.
“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, and we know that we are very supportive of Governor Sheriff because he’s doing a lot. But as the governor is doing a lot for us, he also needs to connect to the greater source of power and resources and goodwill in Abuja”, he added.
He called on Deltans who are already in the APC to embrace and work with them to make the ruling party dominant in the state.
