The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described the recent wave of defections by Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and other top politicians in Delta State to the All Progressives Congress (APC) as deeply painful and unexpected.
The party’s Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, made this known during a ceremony in Abuja where he presented a Certificate of Return to Jude Ezenwafor, the PDP candidate for the upcoming Anambra governorship election.
While addressing party members, Damagum expressed his disappointment over the situation, particularly because of the unwavering support the PDP claims to have given Delta State over the years. He said the party did not anticipate such a move from a state it had backed so strongly.
“It is very sad and unfortunate because, to me, if there’s any state that should think that way, it’s not Delta, because the party is very magnanimous,” he said. Damagum noted that those who defected did not blame the PDP for any wrongdoing, which made the situation even more painful. “I thank God that in their message, they didn’t say that the party did anything wrong to them other than good,” he added.
He also explained that the party is already working on setting up a caretaker committee to rebuild the PDP structure in Delta and take immediate control of its political base in the state. “I want to use this opportunity to say we’ll take over our structures immediately,” he said.
Looking ahead, Damagum stated that the 2027 general elections would not be about how many governors a party has, but rather about the people of Nigeria. He called on party members to remain united and focus on their mission to “rescue Nigeria.”
During the same event, Jude Ezenwafor, the PDP’s candidate in Anambra, expressed confidence in his chances, saying Anambra remains a PDP state. “All of us contesting the governorship election in Anambra State today, including the serving governor, were once governorship aspirants within the PDP, but as a bridge-builder, I will consolidate and move forward,” he said.
He also promised to address security issues in the state if elected. “As a former senior special assistant to the governor on security, I will not take things for granted,” he said.
