Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori has sparked a political stir with his recent defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), marking a dramatic shift in a state that has long been a PDP fortress.
Oborevwori’s move to the APC on April 23, 2025, comes as a major surprise, considering Delta State’s consistent loyalty to the PDP since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999. His defection adds him to a growing list of governors who switched allegiance from the PDP to the APC while still in office.
A rundown of seven such defections that left a mark on Nigeria’s political landscape:
1. Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta State) – His unexpected move to the APC has redefined the political narrative in Delta. As a sitting governor from a PDP-dominated state, Oborevwori’s defection is viewed as one of the most consequential shifts in recent times.
2. Dave Umahi (Ebonyi State) – Umahi defected in November 2020 during his second term, citing the PDP’s neglect of the Southeast. He commended the APC-led government’s focus on infrastructure, particularly under former President Muhammadu Buhari.
3. Ben Ayade (Cross River State) – Ayade crossed over to the APC in May 2021, explaining his decision as a strategic move to attract more federal attention and projects to Cross River.
4. Bello Matawalle (Zamfara State) – Amid political instability in Zamfara, Matawalle joined the APC in June 2021. The switch was seen as an effort to consolidate power and ensure smoother governance.
5. Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto State) – Known for his political agility, Tambuwal originally left PDP for APC before the 2015 elections, returned in 2018, and was later linked to yet another move back to APC while still in office.
6. Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto State) – A pioneer of PDP-to-APC defections, Wamakko made his move in 2014. His decision played a critical role in reshaping Nigeria’s political momentum ahead of the 2015 general elections.
7. Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara State) – Ahmed joined APC in 2014 alongside Bukola Saraki, triggering the “political tsunami” in Kwara. Though he later returned to PDP, his defection at the time was instrumental to APC’s consolidation in the state.
