PDP Leaders Seek Clarification from Oborevwori on Alleged APC Defection Plans

To confirm or refute his purported planned defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC), Delta State leaders, acting on behalf of the Delta State chapter of the Concerned Leaders of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), have written to the state governor, Sheriff Oborevwori.

The PDP leaders said that his delayed response may be seen as obvious proof of his compromised stance and requested that he provide them with immediate explanation so that they could be included in the picture.

To secure your governorship seat ahead of the general elections in 2027, the Delta PDP Leaders said in a statement signed by Mr. Theophilus Ekiyor, Mr. Ochuko Oghenekome, and Mr. Ezekiel Chukwudi that they are forced to write him about the extremely unsettling rumors of his purported plans to defect to the APC.

Rumors abound about your plan to cross-carpet to the All Progressives Congress (APC), the centrally located ruling party.

The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, has been the target of your covert romances.

“A meeting between you and President Tinubu on this self-serving agenda is currently being facilitated by Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the governor of Lagos State, and Alhaji Femi Gbajabiamila, the president’s chief of staff, who were named as your point men for your new endeavor.

According to people close to you, getting permission to join the APC is your ultimate objective. In this sense, these fanciful and unverified rumors really disturb us.Therefore, we ask that you provide us with immediate clarity so that we are included. The PDP leaders stated that a delayed answer might be interpreted as obvious proof of your weakened stance.

They went on to say: “Many of us feel betrayed and confused by your recent private Yuletide meeting with the aforementioned presidential aides and others in Lagos, right after the general meeting of the states’ governors with the country’s top citizen, where your alleged defection plans were reportedly hatched and extensively discussed.”

We implore you to clarify your intentions and provide us assurance over our prospects within the PDP.

Additionally, we know that you have been mingling with certain APC faction leaders in Delta State. According to reports, this action is a calculated attempt to silence the state’s powerful APC voices regarding your plan.

“For this reason, we require that you clearly explain why you are secretly meeting with a few APC leaders in the State at night.

“In addition, your sponsoring dissident groups within the state’s APC have filed complaints.”

According to the PDP leaders, the governor’s strategy is thought to be intended to further polarize the party in order to facilitate his eventual departure.

We also know that you are paying some of the APC’s top leaders in the State Working Committee. In return for their devotion and support, some of these leaders have been given money rewards on a regular basis and have had their boys appointed. We feel very let down by this betrayal of confidence and trust.

Furthermore, in the nearly two years of your rule, the vast majority of us PDP members who worked to get you elected governor have not received any kind of reward.

“We denounce your frequent contacts with APC members both inside and outside the state. Please don’t do it. The fact that it is anti-party should be made very apparent to you.

“You recently embarrassed us greatly at a gathering of the Urhobo Progressives Union (UPU) by publicly endorsing President Tinubu’s policies and programs; this has caused the PDP to take notice.”

“There is no other way to interpret your claim that “if President Tinubu fails, I too fail.” It makes your plan to join the APC quite evident. “It is disheartening that you are publicly identifying with the state’s opposition,” the leaders remarked.

The Delta PDP Leaders questioned how a governor chosen on the PDP’s platform could be acting in this manner.

They remarked, “It’s unfortunate that you, Your Excellency, who was overwhelmingly elected on the PDP platform, are saying this.”

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The Delta PDP Leaders noted that when the governor solicited support for a president whose administration failure was colossal, he blatantly betrayed the confidence of his swarming party members.

They pointed out that an apparently unsophisticated media assistant of his barely avoided losing his job recently after misinterpreting the governor’s body language and denouncing the cruel policies and initiatives of the APC, or Tinubu’s government.

“The troubled aide was viewed as a spoiler in the planned odyssey,” stated the Delta PDP leaders.

“The media assistant had to be rescued from the sledge-hammers by well-meaning Deltans. After the media aide’s experience, what proof do we need to verify your defection negotiations with the APC?

The fact that you have been harboring resentment toward party members who have been discovered to be even loosely allied with opposition elements makes it much more concerning. Nobody can oppose the boss in your situation.

Why did you suddenly stop believing in the PDP? Is it because you were aware that, given your poor performance and the winner-take-all rules, you would not be able to win the return ticket on our party’s platform?

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“You undoubtedly have reason to be concerned about your future in 2027 given the firmly established “family affairs” government and the policy of using and discarding, in particular, the crucial components that made it possible for you to become our party’s leader.

But by viewing APC as a safe haven, you missed the purpose. Your actions and body language as the head of our state’s big party have a significant impact on our future as a group.

“We cannot afford for your selfish ambition to destroy and weaken the chances of our party.

“The hordes of PDP members in various elected offices and other party supporters who want to run for office in 2027 are our biggest concerns.

What party should they declare their intentions under now that you, the party’s leader and governor, intend to leave it and run for office under the APC? Or do they intend to accompany you to the APC?

“You need to find answers to these mind-boggling questions as soon as possible so that everyone knows their place. You cannot remain mute about your goals or keep us in the dark any longer.

In this regard, we require honesty and clarity concerning your intention to defect.

“We have a right to the truth. We request that you respond to these rumors and reaffirm your dedication to the PDP.

“The PDP has remained a beacon of hope and point of anchor for the people of Delta State since 1999. We have worked tirelessly to build the party into a formidable force in the state.

“We therefore won’t allow anyone to scuttle our well- earned place in the hearts of the people.

“We will not stand idly and watch, while the party’s fortunes are undermined and frittered away through your inordinate desperation to remain as governor at all cost.

“In light of the foregoing, we urge you to clear the air and reassure us of your loyalty, integrity and unwavering commitment to the PDP. We await your prompt response.

“We will not accept to be treated like pawns in your political chess game. We deserve respect and transparency from you.”

Appealing to the governor to reconsider his alleged planned defection, the PDP leaders said, “in view of these developments, we urge you to reconsider your actions and reaffirm your commitment to the PDP. We are willing to work with you to resolve all issues that may be driving your desire to defect.

“However, if you refuse to address these concerns and continue on the path, we shall be forced to take necessary actions to protect the interests of the party.

“We hope that you will take our concerns seriously and respond immediately.”