PDP Chairman Slams Delta Governor’s Defection to APC as “Unfortunate Betrayal”
Umar Damagum, acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has expressed deep disappointment over the defection of Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Speaking on Thursday during the presentation of the certificate of return to Ezenwafor Jude, the PDP’s gubernatorial candidate in Anambra, Damagum described Oborevwori’s switch as a “painful and unexpected” betrayal, particularly from a state the PDP has heavily invested in.
“If there’s any state that should not have taken this path, it is Delta,” Damagum declared. “We gave them everything — support for the governor and even the former governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, who was our vice presidential candidate in 2023. We least expected this action from them.”
Oborevwori’s defection comes amid a wave of high-profile departures from the PDP, with several key members reportedly preparing to follow suit. But Damagum dismissed the idea that the number of governors under a party’s control will determine the outcome of the 2027 general elections.
“This election in 2027 is not about how many governors you have or how many leaders,” he said. “It is about Tinubu and Nigerians.”
He emphasised that the people, not politicians, will ultimately decide the next leadership, especially given the current economic challenges under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
“The ordinary man is feeling the pain, and the decision is his. It is APC versus Nigerians,” Damagum said passionately. “Not APC versus any governor or senator—but Nigerians enduring hardship, not by accident, but by design.”
Despite the blow, Damagum affirmed the PDP’s resilience, saying the party has survived even greater storms and remains steadfast in its mission.
