Why Okowa, Oborevwori, Delta PDP leaders joined APC – Dele Momodu

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dele Momodu, said former Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, joined the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) due to coercion and harassment.

Momodu, who spoke on a Channels Television programme, said their defection was tied to political survival rather than party loyalty or ideological conviction.

The entire PDP structure in Delta State, led by Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, Deputy Governor Monday Onyeme, commissioners, and several key political stakeholders, dumped the PDP for APC on Wednesday after months of speculations.

Momodu said the pattern of defection showed the PDP members were under ‘pressure’ to make the decision.

“These defections are not about love for Tinubu or the APC,” Momodu stated. “They are survival tactics. What we are witnessing is a game of political preservation under pressure, not genuine allegiance.”

He warned President Bola Tinubu not to interpret the defections as proof of his popularity or successful governance.

Momodu said many defectors act out of fear, driven by threats, coercion, or fear of prosecution.

“My advice to Asiwaju is that he should not trust these politicians,” he said. “If he thinks they’re joining him because they believe in him, he’s being misled,” Momodu said.

Momodu alleged that the APC was using anti-corruption agencies like the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to intimidate and harass opposition leaders to defect.

Before his defection, Okowa, a former vice presidential candidate of the PDP, while speaking to his supporters in his local dialect, said that his decision would be in their best interest.

“Be assured that we will not go in the wrong direction. We will take the best direction, the best path for our people,” he said.

Momodu accused the Tinubu administration of veering toward authoritarianism. He described the political climate as increasingly repressive and warned of the dangers of “democratic dictatorship.”

He reminded Tinubu of his legacy as a pro-democracy advocate during the military era.

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