The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta State is fighting for its political life following the defection of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and his loyalists to the All Progressives Congress (APC) on April 28, 2025.
As the 2027 general elections draw nearer, the party, once an unshakable force in the state, is plagued by a leadership vacuum, creeping disillusionment, and growing internal suspicion.
While the defection itself was seismic, what has followed has further rattled the PDP’s foundations.
The National Working Committee (NWC) swiftly deployed Chief Emmanuel Ogidi, Chairman of the South-South Zonal Caretaker Committee, to Delta on April 30 to stabilise the party and begin reorganisation efforts.
But nearly three months later, no clear action has followed his arrival, no interim committees, no statewide consultations, and no strategy for recovery.
This delay has fueled a wave of speculation and anger.
Several PDP stakeholders now accuse Ogidi of being a deliberate holdover for the Oborevwori-Okowa faction, embedded in the party to preserve their grip on the structure even after their public defection.
They allege that his mission is not to rebuild the PDP, but to stall it, ensuring the party remains on political life support until it can be reclaimed, if needed.
“Ogidi isn’t here to revive anything,” said a top party figure in Asaba.
“He’s here to keep the engine idle. They’re not finished with the PDP. It’s a backup plan if their APC realignment crashes.”
The allegation is gaining traction among local leaders and faithful party loyalists who fear the PDP is being used as a political insurance policy.
One source likened the situation to “freezing the structure so that it can be defrosted and revived later.”
Reinforcing this view, respected PDP chieftain and former Delta State Commissioner for Higher Education, Prof. Patrick Muoboghare, recently warned of an inevitable implosion.
According to him, many of those who defected to the APC will eventually return to the PDP when the realities of their new political alliances set in.
“Watch what will happen,” Prof. Muoboghare said.
“They’ll come back. Some have already started regretting it. The PDP will outlive these temporary betrayals because the foundation is deeper than people think.”
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Prof. Muoboghare’s comments reflect a belief held by many in the old guard—that the PDP’s collapse has been exaggerated, and that its grassroots loyalty remains a potent force.
One of those clinging to that belief is Emaye Daniel, Chairman of PDP in Ughelli North Local Government Area, who insists that the people remain committed to the party, regardless of defections at the top.
“We’re not going anywhere,” Emaye said. “People are calling to join us every week. The APC rallies they’re doing here are stage-managed.
“It’s mostly old women being paid to show up. The youths are with PDP, and in Ughelli North, if elections are held today, we will win.”
Citing Senator Ali Ndume’s remark that “politicians may decamp, but the voters don’t,” Emaye believes that the PDP’s grassroots strength will become evident by 2027.
“The betrayal we’ve seen will provoke a backlash. The youth will not forget.”
That growing resentment found expression on June 2, 2025, when Mr. Richard Oborikporo Ovweghrederohwo, popularly known as ‘Advise’, resigned as an executive assistant to Governor Oborevwori.
In his resignation letter, Ovweghrederohwo thanked the governor for the opportunity to serve but made it clear he was unwilling to follow Oborevwori into the APC.
“This decision does not stem from dissatisfaction with your policies or performance,” he wrote, “but from a desire to remain true to my political convictions. I do not wish to be part of the APC.”
His departure is widely interpreted as a subtle protest against the governor’s defection, and a sign that not all members of his inner circle are ready to abandon the PDP’s ideals.
Still, the national PDP leadership remains conspicuously silent on the Delta crisis, even as local structures wobble. Without concrete intervention, critics warn the party risks ceding its last stronghold in the South-South region.
“The party’s soul is on the line,” said a former commissioner. “There’s loyalty in the grassroots, but the top is compromised. If we don’t act now, 2027 may be lost, not just electorally, but morally.”
For now, the PDP in Delta State walks a tightrope between survival and collapse. As plots, counter-plots, and predictions of return swirl through the political atmosphere, one truth remains clear, the party’s greatest threat may not be its rivals, but its own internal sabotage.
