Ibori’s Masterplan: Ex-Governor’s APC Move May End PDP’s Reign In Delta

By Chidiebere Onyemaizu

The dynamics of politics in Delta State is assuming a rare colouration. The recent revelation by former Deputy Senate President and the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Delta State in the 2023 election, Senator Ovie Omo Agege that 10 members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state’s House of Assembly are on their way to the APC, observers say, highlights the rapidly changing face of politics in the state.

While welcoming into the APC a two-term chairman of Isoko South Local Government Area, Chief Itiako Ikpokpo (aka Malik) last week, the former Deputy Senate President declared that “a major realignment in the power structure of the Delta State House of Assembly is looming as 10 lawmakers are set to dump PDP for the APC.”

According to him, with the seven APC lawmakers already in the House, the defection of 10 PDP members would bring the number of the APC numbers to 17, thus upturning PDP’s dominance and significantly altering the balance of power in the House in favour of the APC.

Since the return of democracy 27 years ago, Daily Sun observed that the PDP has been dominating the Delta political landscape. But political analysts predict that, that long reign may come to an end in 2027 if the APC sustains its current poaching blitz which has so far seen an avalanche of PDP defectors swelling its ranks.

One of APC’s biggest catches so far in the state, is Senator Ned Nwoko representing Delta North Senatorial District in the National Assembly. Watchers of Delta politics posit that the implication of Senator Nwoko’s defection is that all of the three Senators from the state are now APC Senators- Senator Ede Dafinone (Delta Central), Senator Ewomazino Thomas Joel-Onowakpo (Delta South) and Senator Nwoko himself.

Senator Nwoko, while announcing his defection, said he left the PDP because Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and his immediate predecessor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa did not allow him to function optimally and were also allegedly against the creation of Anioma State which he is championing.

“I left because I want to be able to get the support of the ruling party in the creation of Anioma State. The governor and Okowa, who are the leaders of PDP, are against the creation of Anioma State. I sought the support of PDP national leadership, but they have been embroiled in destructive fights and have been unable to show leadership. The governor made sure that I wasn’t allowed to function. He dismissed all the projects that we had discussed during the campaigns, citing a lack of funds.

“Okpai Power Plant and Ogwashi-Uku Dam are examples. I wasn’t allowed to nominate any board members, commissioners, or local government chairmen. I had to join the ruling party so as to be able to attract projects to my constituency. Time is running,” Senator Nwoko said.

However, contrary to the reasons Senator Nwoko outlined, Daily Sun reliably gathered that Senator Nwoko’s defection and many more to come is part of the grand APC build up, inspired by the state’s former Governor, Chief James Onanefe Ibori, aimed at totally ending PDP hegemony in the state.

Ironically, Ibori who has since defected to the APC was a powerful PDP governor between 1999 and 2007. His daughter, Hon. Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu, member of the House of Representatives for Ethiope Federal Constituency who won election in 2023 on the platform of the PDP, had in December, last year, defected to the APC.

A chieftain of the party and a former local government Chairmanship aspirant, Malachy Udu told Daily Sun that “if all goes as planned, before the end of 2026, the governor may be the only politician remaining in the PDP, that is if he didn’t defect before then.”

Multiple sources within both the PDP and APC in the state say Ibori is determined to demonstrate through the APC that he is still a kingmaker in Delta politics, a force to reckon with and the undisputed political godfather of the oil-rich state.

One of the sources who pleaded anonymity said: “You can’t wish Odi-di-di-gbo-i-gbo (Ibori’s nickname which roughly translates to greatest of the greatest or someone with intimidating charisma) away in Delta politics, you can’t ignore him, like him or hate him, he is the political godfather in this state; his political structure produced governors Uduaghan, Okowa and now Oborevwori. The structure will also produce the next governor in 2027 but this around via another platform- the APC.”

Delta Unity Group (DUG), a formidable political platform with massive grassroots penetration, reminiscent of the now defunct Mandate Group of the ex-Lagos State Governor and now President, senator Bola Tinubu, is believed to be the vehicle through which Chief Ibori’s camp is plotting APC’s total capture of Delta State.

Currently headed by Chief Clement Ofuani, a seasoned professional, technocrat and Delta State former Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, DUG boasts of political heavy weights in the state, including Chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission, Mr. Chiedu Ebie, who hosted the group late last year in his Agbor County home, with Chief Ibori in attendance. Mr Ebie was the immediate past DUG Chairman.

Meanwhile, Senator Nwoko’s defection may have pre-empted Governor Oborevwori’s alleged APC move and taken the shine out of it. His alleged defection plot is said not to sit well with critical stakeholders in the party who cannot imagine having the Governor as the leader of APC in Delta.

“His coming to APC, if at all the rumour is true, will automatically make him the leader of the party in Delta State and this does not sit well with many of us, party leaders, who have sacrificed a lot to make the APC what it is today in the state. It is like coming to reap where one did not sow. Let Governor Oborevwori remain in his party, PDP and await his inevitable defeat in 2027”, a party chieftain and an ally of Senator Omo Agege who craved anonymity told Daily Sun.

Senator Omo Agege himself declared during an APC leaders, elders, and stakeholders’ meeting in Ika South and Ika North East Local Government Areas of the state recently that while every other Delta PDP leader and chieftain are welcomed into the APC, Governor Oborevwori and Okowa are not.

His words: “Are we even sure PDP will still exist in 2027? Their crisis at the national level is worsening. Our focus should be on winning the next elections and re-electing President Bola Tinubu. We welcome everyone except Oborevwori and Okowa. They should remain in PDP and rebuild their party.”

A two-term Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Governor Oborevwori who started his political career as a local government councillor is said to be the product of Ibori’s political dynasty. This, no doubt, is fuelling speculations that he actually has the former governor’s blessing to move to the APC and contest his second term there.

The Governor who recently hosted PDP Governors’ meeting in Asaba, has however reaffirmed his membership of, and commitment to the party. He described his alleged plan to defect to the APC as an empty rumour. Similarly, the state Commissioner for Information, Charles Aniagwu while denying his principal’s alleged defection plot, accused the APC of wishful thinking.

“Gov. Oborevwori is not only a proud member of the PDP, but remains a leader of PDP both in Delta and in Nigeria.

“He is also a performing governor, who has been able to show that he can be regarded as the poster governor for the PDP. So, for those who are wishing that he is jumping ship, we want to tell them that Oborevwori is not in the business of jumping. Oborevwori is trying to let Nigerians know that the PDP has the strength to deliver,” Aniagwu said in a statement.

(This article was originally published by The Sun)