It was a watershed moment in Nigerian politics on Monday, as Vice President Kashim Shettima formally received Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State, former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, and their supporters into the All Progressives Congress (APC) fold.
He told the new members who recently dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the APC that they are now co-owners of the governing party, and not guests, just as he described the occasion as a “testimony to the enduring promise” of the APC.
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VP Shettima, who represented President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the event held in Asaba, the Delta State capital, stressed the need for unity and collaboration, emphasising that the new members were joining as equals in the ruling party.
“You are not guests in this house; you are now co-owners. This is now as much your party as it is ours,” Mr Shettima said, describing the new APC entrants as giants in Nigerian politics.
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The vice president highlighted the significance of their decision to join the APC, saying, “The true measure of a political party lies not merely in the enthusiasm of its members, but in the conviction it inspires among those who once stood across from them.”
Welcoming the new members into the party fold, Mr Shettima noted that they were joining the party “not as defectors but as brothers and sisters who have found their rightful place among” the APC faithful, even as he maintained that they were joining the governing party not as guests but as family and “as fellow architects of a better Nigeria.”
The vice president explained the APC’s philosophy of governance and party politics, pointing out that “what sets the APC apart is not an illusion of uniformity; it is our acceptance that differences are inevitable and that greatness lies in managing them.
“Our tables have always been tables of dialogue, places where every member, no matter how great or small, is welcomed to air their grievances, challenge our direction, and shape our future,” he added.
Mr Shettima also reflected on the party’s journey right from inception. “Since its formation in 2013, the APC has been both the dream and the drama of Nigerian democracy. So many predictions have been written about us as though we were an experiment doomed to fail,” he said.
He credited the party’s longevity to its collaborative approach, observing that “dialogue, not dictation, has been our shield against disintegration,” just as he said there was no way the party could have survived this long without listening to one another.
“Today is not merely a day of receiving new members. This is a declaration that the spirit of our great nation is alive — a spirit that dreams beyond personal ambition, beyond party lines, and sees the larger arc of history. Nigeria is greater than all of us, and what we do here today is a step towards strengthening her promise,” the vice president further stated.
Earlier, the National Chairman of the APC, Abdullahi Ganduje, said it was a historic day, even as he described the defection of the Delta State Governor as a political legacy.
Mr Ganduje thanked President Bola Tinubu for providing good leadership that has attracted more credible persons into the APC fold.
“The National Working Committee of our party is happy with this decision of the governor, and we are impressed with the cordial relationship existing between the governor and his predecessor, Dr Okowa,” he said.
Formally accepting the Delta State Governor into the APC, Mr Ganduje handed over the flag of the party and a broom, the main symbol of the APC, to MrOborevwori.
The national chairman thanked Mr Shettima and all APC governors who attended the occasion, informing them that more eminent Nigerians are on their way to the APC.
On his part, the Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum and Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma, said it is a special day for APC because of the wealth of experience of the Delta State Governor.
He said the ideology of the APC protects national interest and the improvement of the lives of Nigerians.
“We are joyful and hopeful. Our party, the APC, protects national interest and expands the hope horizon,” Mr Uzodinma said, while commending the developmental strides of the Delta State Governor, saying they are progressive.
He continued: “Today, when I was driving into Asaba this afternoon, I saw development, I saw the performance of the governor, I saw infrastructure. The state looks like an APC state.
“So, I’m not surprised that the governor, in his wisdom, decided to join our great party because what we are known for is what he is already doing in Delta State”.
Speaking on behalf of the new APC entrants, Governor Oborevwori insisted that what happened in Delta State was a movement, not defection, explaining that all stakeholders of the state were part of the decision to move to the governing APC.
The governor, who said Delta State could no longer be in the opposition, thus the change of gears, added that the state decided to reciprocate the love of President Tinubu, whom he said loves the state and has done a lot for it.
“All our members in the National Assembly have agreed that when plenary resumes, they will defect on the floor of the two chambers of the Assembly.
“All the state and ward executives of our party and representatives at all levels will move. We want to be in the Renewed Hope Agenda, which is in line with my agenda,” Mr Oborevwori said, assuring that there will be no faction in the Delta State APC.
Also, former Governor of the state, Ifeanyi Okowa, said the people of the state decided to change their path for the common good of the citizens.
“This decision is in the best interest of the state. We need to connect to the centre to gain more democratic dividends. It is in the best interest of the state and the people. We need to embrace each other with the oneness of heart. I believe a great result will come forth from this decision,” Mr Okowa assured.
He pledged support for President Bola Tinubu and the Delta governor.
State governors in attendance were those of Kwara, AbdulRahman-AbdulRazaq; Gombe, Mohammed Yahaya; Yobe, Mai Mala Buni; Lagos, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Benue, Hyacinth Alia; Nasarawa, Abdullahi Sule; Sokoto, Ahmed Aliyu; Ogun, Dapo Abiodun, Cross River, Bassey Otu; Borno, Babagana Zulum; Kaduna, Uba Sani; Ekiti, Biodun Oyebanji; Kogi, Usman Ododo, and Ebonyi, Francis Nwifuru.
Other dignitaries included Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu; a senator, Adams Oshiomole; Minister of Regional Development, Abubakar Momoh; Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo; Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Abubakar Bagudu, and former Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege, among many others.
Stanley Nkwocha
Senior Special Assistant to The President on Media & Communications
(Office of The Vice President)
28th April, 2025
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