Delta Exodus: PDP Cries Foul, Vows Legal Fight for ‘Stolen Mandate’
The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has resolved to initiate legal proceedings against Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and other key stakeholders who recently defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Following a marathon six-hour closed-door meeting at its national secretariat in Abuja on Tuesday, the PDP leadership instructed its National Legal Adviser to begin the process of reclaiming what it described as the party’s stolen mandate in Delta State.
In a communiqué issued after the meeting, the party directed its legal arm to commence court proceedings to retrieve its mandate from the governor and others who defected from the PDP.
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Speaking to journalists, Acting National Chairman Umar Damagum stated, “We have instructed the National Legal Adviser to recover our mandate, which they have unlawfully taken. The fortune of this party cannot be left in the hands of our adversaries. The zonal caretaker committee will now oversee our party in Delta following the dissolution of existing structures, as the majority have defected.”
Beyond addressing the wave of defections, the NWC also adopted key recommendations from its Governors’ Forum.
The committee scheduled the next National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting for May 28 and fixed the PDP National Convention for 28–30 August 2025.
Governor Oborevwori, his deputy, Monday Onyeme, and a broad coalition of political allies—including commissioners, local government chairmen, and grassroots PDP members—officially joined the APC on 23 April.
They were received by top APC leaders, including Vice President Kashim Shettima, APC National Chairman Abdullahi Ganduje, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, and Imo State Governor and Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, Hope Uzodimma.
Also defecting was former Delta State Governor and PDP’s 2023 vice-presidential candidate, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, in what observers have described as a major political realignment that effectively ended the PDP’s decades-long dominance in the oil-rich state.
The APC described the wave of defections as more than just a political shift, calling it a “movement” and a significant indicator ahead of the 2027 general elections.
