Delta PDP Members Are Rejecting Oborevwori’s Defection” – Ologbondiyan

Former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Kola Ologbondiyan, has said that members of the party in Delta State are rejecting the recent defection of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori to the All Progressives Congress (APC), and are instead mobilising to strengthen the PDP.

Oborevwori, alongside his predecessor Ifeanyi Okowa and other top PDP figures in Delta, officially joined the APC on April 23. Speaking on AIT’s *Democracy Today* on Thursday, Ologbondiyan insisted that the PDP remains resilient despite high-profile defections. He cited the party’s revival in 2017 under Uche Secondus’ leadership as evidence of its ability to bounce back from internal crises, noting that the situation then was far worse than the current challenges.

Ologbondiyan dismissed the notion of a mass exodus from the PDP, stressing that only one governor had left the party so far. He warned political leaders to consider the sentiments of their supporters before switching parties, suggesting that failing to do so could lead to miscalculations and alienation at the grassroots level.

He revealed that reconciliation efforts are ongoing within the PDP as part of a broader repositioning strategy ahead of the 2027 general elections. He pointed to a recent meeting of PDP governors in Ibadan, which led to key decisions including the replacement of Senator Samuel Anyanwu with Setonji Koshoedo as acting national secretary.

According to Ologbondiyan, the party’s long-postponed National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting has now been scheduled for May 27, with expectations high that crucial decisions will be made to resolve lingering internal issues.

In Delta State, he said efforts to rebuild the PDP’s base are already underway. He noted that even before the arrival of the South-South Zonal Chairman, Elder Emmanuel Ogidi, members had begun forming caretaker committees to keep the party machinery active at the grassroots level. He described this as a sign that many loyalists are refusing to follow the governor and other defecting leaders to the APC.

Meanwhile, Delta State Commissioner for Information, Charles Aniagwu, defended the governor’s move, arguing that alignment with the federal ruling party enhances a state’s access to presidential influence and key national appointments.