James Manager, the former Senator for Delta South and founding chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta State, recently shared the reasons behind Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s defection from PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC). Speaking after a high-level stakeholders’ meeting at the Government House in Asaba, the Manager expressed disappointment with the current state of the PDP, calling it a party in crisis.
Describing the PDP as “a boat that is already capsizing,” the Manager explained that Oborevwori’s move, along with others from the party, followed long consultations with party leadership to assess the party’s future. He emphasized that the decision to leave was not made in isolation but as a collective resolution in response to the worsening state of the PDP.
Reflecting on his deep ties to the PDP, the Manager, who was the party’s first chairman in Delta, admitted the emotional toll of leaving but said staying in a sinking party was no longer an option. He also referenced a recent meeting of the PDP Governors Forum in Ibadan, where the governors rejected any idea of merging with other political parties. According to the Manager, this decision, along with the party’s inability to unite under its current leadership, has left many members disillusioned. He drew parallels with the 2015 defeat, when the PDP lost power to a coalition of opposition groups.
The manager also criticized the ongoing leadership struggles within the PDP, especially the confusion over the rightful occupant of the National Secretary position. He questioned how the party could compete effectively in national elections when it lacked clarity on crucial organizational matters, such as who was authorized to sign official documents.
Concluding, the Manager called the current state of the PDP unprecedented in its history and reiterated that the Delta PDP family could not afford to stay in what he called a “capsizing boat,” urging members to chart a new course.
