Prominent Okowa’s Loyalist Dumps PDP After Loss, Joins APC

A prominent chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party in Delta State and the Koromotiemowei of Ogbe Ijoh Warri Kingdom, Chief Aribogha Johnny, on Wednesday formally dumped the PDP and defected to the All Progressives Congress.

Johnny, alongside his supporters, defected few hours after the Independent National Electoral Commission declared Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the APC the winner of the 2023 presidential election.

The former PDP chieftain said in a signed statement that his “decision came not just as a result of the outcome of the just concluded presidential election, but as a result of the level of marginalisation and disregard he has faced in the Peoples Democratic Party for many years.”

According to him, his political allegiance had been with the PDP until the party leadership started treating him like a “low class member” despite his contributions to the successes recorded in the party at the state level in the past years.

“As such, I have decided to move to a party where my efforts in the politics of the state and beyond will be recognised and appreciated,” he stated.

While welcoming Johnny and his supporters, the APC leadership in Delta, led by the Director General of the party’s governorship campaign council, Elder Godsday Orubebe and Chief Bosin Ebikeme, the director of the party’s contact and mobilisation campaign council, expressed joy in receiving the former PDP chieftain, noting that his decision was in the right direction.

They remarked that the Delta APC would regard him as a bonafide member who will also be part of the party’s decision making process.