The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, confidently predicted that more opposition governors would soon join the ruling party.
Speaking during the official welcome ceremony for Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and his predecessor, Ifeanyi Okowa, in Asaba on Monday, April 28, Ganduje said, “I have to thank our 21 executive governors. Now, this is the 22nd governor.
“I have to thank all of them for being on ground. And let me tell you, I hope your ears are open, I hope your eyes are open. We shall see very soon, more and more will come in.”
The recent defection of Oborevwori and Okowa from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC marked the end of the PDP’s nearly 26-year dominance in Delta State, as the two leaders moved the state’s political structure to the APC.
Ganduje expressed confidence in the growing influence of the APC, adding that the party’s reach would continue to expand across the country.
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Meanwhile, Okowa explained that his decision to join the APC was driven by the need to connect Delta State to the central government in Abuja.
Reflecting on the decision, he said, “When the news broke on Wednesday that we had decided to change our path, people wondered why, but one thing is very important in a people’s history: there is always a time to change their path for the common good of the people.”
Okowa added, “It was not about me, it was not about the governor, but the fact that there is a need for us to connect to Abuja, that goodwill that is in Abuja, that resource that’s in Abuja of which Delta State is a large contributor, there was a need to connect to it.”
He described the move as “patriotic and strategic,” noting that Delta had lost valuable opportunities during his tenure as the state remained in opposition.