The defection of Delta State Governor, Rt Honourable Sheriff Oborevwori, his predecessor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, and the entire Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leadership in the state to the All Progressives Congress (APC) has been described as a political coup against the people of the state.

Senior Special Assistant to the Delta State Governor on Civil Society and NGOs, Mr Victor Ojei, who resigned his appointment shortly after the official defection, raised the alarm over the looming threat of political monopoly and democratic suffocation in the state.

However, in a terse response to Ojei’s statement on Monday, the State Commissioner for Works (Rural Roads) and Public Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu, said the state had moved on.

“We are focused on governance, and if they are still dwelling in the past, we wish them good luck.”

The former aide, in a statement over the weekend, said the mass defection was not only an act of betrayal but also a political coup against the people of Delta State and a desperate attempt by corrupt elites to hijack the state and enslave democracy under one-party rule.

According to him, his action was aimed at ensuring that Nigeria, and indeed Delta State, does not slip into a one-party dictatorship by 2027.

He called on PDP members, pro-democracy activists, civil society groups, and youth organisations to oppose the defection, adding that “Delta is not for sale.”

“Fellow Deltans and Nigerians, we, the Young Nigerian Rights Organisation, are raising the alarm over the looming threat of political monopoly and democratic suffocation in Delta State, following the shameless and unprincipled alignment of a section of PDP with the very APC they once branded a disaster.

“The recent mass defection is not just an act of betrayal; it is a political coup against the people of Delta State and a desperat’ move by corrupt elites to hijack our state and enslave our democracy under one-party rule.

“As the lead activist of the Young Nigerian Rights Organisation, I, Comrade Victor Ojei, popularly known as Wong Box, make it clear that we reject this APC-PDP unholy alliance.

“We refuse to follow the sellouts. Instead, we stand with the people. We stand with the true PDP, and most importantly, we are calling on all Deltans, pro-democracy activists, civil society groups, and youth organisations to rise with us,” the statement read.

“We are working to mobilise a strong opposition coalition—a merger of patriots, defenders of democracy, and political forces committed to truth and service.

“Our goal is clear: to rescue Delta State and eventually unseat APC at the federal level through democratic revolution.

“We invite every concerned Delta citizen to stand with us. The battle lines are drawn. Delta is not for sale. We are not for sale. And the people will have the final say,” the statement added. (Nigerian Tribune)