Defection Scandal: Oborevwori, Okowa Trade Trust for Power Delta Group Blasts Betrayal
As political loyalties shift like desert winds, Deltans watch in disbelief as two of their most prominent leaders abandon the platform that birthed their political careers.
A storm of outrage is brewing across Delta State following the shock defection of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and his predecessor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). The move, widely condemned by citizens and civil groups, is being described as a “historic betrayal” of public trust.
A prominent civic organization, Concerned Citizens of Delta State, in a strongly-worded statement signed by its president, Evans Ufeli, accused the duo of “political prostitution,” saying the defection was not only self-serving but also a gross insult to the people who elected them under the PDP banner.
“This was not a political strategy. It was a sellout executed in secrecy, without dialogue, without accountability, and without the consent of the Deltan people,” Ufeli declared.
The group lambasted Oborevwori and Okowa for trading the people’s mandate for political favors, likening their defection to “a backdoor escape from responsibility.” Ufeli alleged that Okowa’s crossover to the APC is a calculated attempt to evade potential probes and public scrutiny, describing both men as “the black sheep of Delta politics.”
“They didn’t just switch parties they abandoned the very people they swore to serve,” the statement read. “This is no longer politics. It is treachery.”
The backlash highlights a broader crisis of political integrity in Nigeria, where defection has become a routine escape route for embattled or opportunistic politicians seeking survival rather than service. Many citizens are now asking: How long will Nigerians allow their democracy to be hijacked by political gamblers?
But not everyone is outraged.
Major P. Egone (retd), a member of the Delta State Advisory and Peace Building Council, sang a different tune. He praised Governor Oborevwori’s defection as a “boost” to his MORE agenda a vision he claims is now better aligned with federal support due to the APC affiliation.
“This is a timely and courageous decision,” Egone stated, citing achievements in infrastructure, human empowerment, and peacebuilding. “Delta is poised to benefit more from federal cooperation.”
Critics, however, are not convinced.
“Is federal patronage the new bribe for betrayal?” one social media user quipped. “Must we always sell our soul to Abuja before progress is possible?”
For many Deltans, this defection represents more than just a change in party lines it’s a red line in the fight for political dignity. The Concerned Citizens group is now calling for grassroots mobilization, urging Deltans to reject party-switching leaders and embrace people-powered governance.
“Our state cannot be run like a business of betrayal. It’s time for a new breed of leaders who carry integrity, not just party cards,” Ufeli warned.
As Nigerians face rising poverty, insecurity, and a credibility crisis in leadership, defections like these are no longer mere political maneuvers they are threats to democracy itself.
Reference
Defection Scandal: Oborevwori, Okowa Trade Trust for Power Delta Group Blasts Betrayal