The wave of high-profile defections in Delta State has gained further momentum with former Governor Dr. Emmanuel Ewetan Uduaghan officially rejoining the All Progressives Congress (APC) from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
Uduaghan’s return comes amid a sweeping realignment in the state’s political landscape, which recently saw the defection of the incumbent Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, immediate past governor Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, several members of the State House of Assembly, federal legislators, and the PDP leadership in the state to the APC.
Dr. Uduaghan, who governed Delta State from 2007 to 2015 under the PDP, had previously contested the Delta South Senatorial seat under the APC in 2019. After a brief departure from the party ahead of the 2023 general elections, he was formally re-registered into the APC at his residence in GRA, Warri, where he received his new membership card (Delta WRN//023/32001).
The re-admittance ceremony was attended by prominent APC leaders, including Comrade Alero Naomi Tenumah, former Delta South Women Leader; Mr. George Ino, Chairman of APC Abigborodo Ward 6; and other influential ward and local government officials.
In his remarks, Dr. Uduaghan expressed appreciation for the warm welcome, pledging to work with party leaders to advance the socio-political and economic development of Delta State. He emphasized unity and growth within the APC, particularly in Warri North and across the state.
The return of Uduaghan—combined with the defections of Governor Oborevwori and former Governor Okowa—is being viewed as a major political shift that could redefine party dynamics in the South-South region ahead of future elections. Party insiders say Uduaghan’s presence adds strategic depth to the APC’s growing influence in Delta.
Notably, his daughter, Orode Uduaghan—currently the Delta State Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs, Community Support Services, and Child Development—also received her APC membership card, signaling a broader family alignment with the party.
The event drew several key figures, including Hon. Misan Ukubeyinje, former Agriculture Commissioner and Delta lawmaker; Engr. Great Kpenosen, Youth President of Abigborodo; and Ephraim Edun, former PDP Ward 6 Chairman.
Speaking at the ceremony, Comrade Tenumah praised Uduaghan’s return, noting he came with a significant number of loyal supporters. She affirmed the APC’s readiness to collaborate with him to strengthen its grassroots presence across the state. She also urged members and new entrants to formalize their membership in support of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and Governor Oborevwori’s M.O.R.E Agenda—now being aligned under the APC platform.
Uduaghan’s return to the APC is widely regarded as a calculated political move that may reshape power structures in Delta and the broader South-South region ahead of the next electoral cycle.
