Tinubu meets Oborevwori, APC governors amid defections
President Bola Tinubu on Monday hosted a high-level meeting with some governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the Presidential Villa, Aso Rock, amid fresh political realignments that could significantly shift the power balance ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Among those present was Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, who recently stunned political observers by defecting from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling APC.
This marks his first official visit to President Tinubu since the defection, which also included his predecessor, former Delta State Governor and PDP vice presidential candidate in the 2019 and 2023 elections, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, as well as Deputy Governor Monday Onyeme, and other influential PDP stakeholders in Delta.
Oborevwori arrived at the Villa at about 3:45 p.m. and was joined shortly after by APC Governors Biodun Oyebanji (Ekiti), Uba Sani (Kaduna), and Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa).
The meeting was held behind closed doors in the president’s office and lasted for over two hours.
The Delta governor, notably, declined to address journalists after emerging from the meeting, leaving the content and outcomes of the discussion subject to speculation
Though details remain sketchy, sources within the APC suggest the gathering is part of ongoing efforts by the presidency to consolidate the ruling party’s influence in the South-South region – historically a PDP stronghold – and to solidify Tinubu’s political base ahead of a potential re-election bid in 2027.
The presence of Oborevwori and Okowa, both longtime PDP figures, signals what insiders describe as “a coordinated political defection with national implications.”
President Tinubu has in recent weeks stepped up consultations with party leaders and state governors amid mounting economic and security challenges, as well as internal party wrangling following the loss of several legislative seats in recent court rulings.
Oborevwori’s defection also raises questions about the future of the PDP in Delta State and the broader Niger Delta region, where oil revenue and regional representation have often shaped party loyalty.
The development may further fracture the already embattled opposition, which continues to grapple with internal divisions since the 2023 general elections
