By Peace Udugba -The daily torch media
Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, has taken a swipe at the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, following his remarks at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national convention held on Sunday in Abuja.
Reacting to the development in a Facebook post on Monday, political aide Ossai accused Wike of double standards, questioning his moral authority to criticise governors who defected from the PDP to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), despite serving in an APC-led federal government.
“Wike has the effrontery to be threatening governors who defected from the PDP to the APC. Yet the same man is a minister under an APC government,” Ossai wrote. He further alleged that the former Rivers State governor played a significant role in the internal crisis that weakened the PDP.
The aide, who is aligned with Governor Oborevwori, described Wike’s stance as “laughable” and expressed disappointment over what he termed an attempt to intimidate political actors who chose to leave the opposition party.
His comments followed Wike’s address to delegates at the PDP convention, where the minister dismissed concerns about the party’s future and took a veiled jab at those who had exited its ranks. Wike maintained that governors who abandoned the PDP during its challenging period lack leadership qualities and should not be trusted with power.
Although Wike did not mention names directly, his remarks were widely interpreted as criticism of recent defections that have weakened the PDP’s influence across several states.
One of the most notable defections since the 2023 general elections is that of Governor Oborevwori, who was elected on the PDP platform but later defected to the APC in 2025 alongside key political stakeholders in Delta State. The move marked a significant political realignment in the oil-rich state and dealt a blow to the PDP’s traditional dominance in the region.
Political observers note that while high-profile gubernatorial defections from the PDP have remained limited since 2023, the party continues to grapple with internal divisions, loyalty disputes, and the defection of influential figures to rival platforms.
In his reaction, Ossai also argued that Wike’s influence within the PDP has been divisive, insisting that his current role in an APC administration undermines his criticism of defectors.
“The same Wike who destroyed the PDP is threatening APC governors,” he stated, questioning whether the minister believes political developments in other states would mirror the dynamics in Rivers State.
