Former Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has mounted a spirited defense of his bombshell defection to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), insisting the controversial political manoeuvre transcends personal ambition and instead represents a calculated bid to channel federal resources into Delta State.
Addressing a jubilant crowd at Monday’s grand reception rally in Asaba, Okowa, who just months ago campaigned vigorously against the APC as the Peoples Democratic Party’s vice-presidential candidate, characterized the defection as a pragmatic necessity rather than an ideological pivot.
“In the history of a people, there is always a time to change their path for the common good,” Okowa declared to thunderous applause from APC faithful. “Whatever decision we took was based on the common good and the need to change our path in the best interest of our state.”
The political earthquake, which sent shockwaves through Nigeria’s political landscape when news broke on April 23, sees both Okowa and his successor, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, abandoning the PDP—a party that has controlled Delta State since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999.
In a revealing admission during his address, Okowa directly linked the defection to access to federal patronage under President Bola Tinubu’s administration. “I was governor for eight years. I was in opposition. I did my best, but we lost a lot,” he conceded, pulling back the curtain on the realpolitik calculations behind the move.
The former governor further elaborated on these limitations during an appearance on Arise TV’s morning show, where he spoke candidly about the practical disadvantages of governing from outside the ruling party’s sphere.
“Though we tried to do our best in the state, we could not lay our hands on a lot of things that would have been available to us at the federal level,” Okowa revealed. “It is obvious it is easier for you to connect to Abuja and to be able to attract both resources and investment in your state if you are within the discourse… as an opposition governor you are not able to get all you want.”
Okowa’s justification frames the defection as a strategic imperative for Delta State—a major oil-producing region that contributes significantly to Nigeria’s national coffers while often seeing limited returns on those resources.
“That goodwill that is in Abuja, that resource that is in Abuja, of which Delta State is a large contributor, there was a need to connect to it,” Okowa emphasized, portraying the defection as a means to bridge a critical gap between state and federal interests.
Political analysts view the defection as a devastating blow to the PDP in the South-South, traditionally considered the party’s stronghold. Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo wasted no time announcing that the APC structure in Delta State now falls completely under Governor Oborevwori’s control—a remarkable political realignment that centralizes power under the governor’s authority.
Okowa, who built his political career within the PDP, insisted the decision came after extensive consultations with party stakeholders across Delta’s political landscape. “This move is bold. It is strategic. It is patriotic and it is well-intentioned,” he maintained, characterizing the defection as a collective decision rather than a unilateral one. His candid admission about opposition governors’ limited leverage serves as a rare public acknowledgment of Nigeria’s centralized power dynamics.
Looking forward, Okowa called for Deltans to rally behind both President Tinubu and Governor Oborevwori, suggesting the state now stands poised for greater political influence and accelerated development.
“It is time for us to stand together in great support for Mr. President and Mr. Governor. Together, we can truly dominate the politics in Delta State,” Okowa proclaimed, casting the defection as the beginning of a new political era for the state.
