President Bola Tinubu has hosted Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State in a closed-door meeting at the state house in Abuja on Tuesday, May 6. The governor was said to have arrived at the presidential villa at around 3:45 pm.

The meeting was the first of its kind that Governor Oborevwori would be meeting with the president since his defection to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Delta governor was a key figure in PDP

The Delta governor had been a key figure in the leading opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and recently made headlines during a major political shift in the oil-rich state.

Governor Oborevwori dumped the PDP for the APC along with his predecessor and former vice presidential candidate of the PDP, Ifeanyi Okowa, as well as his deputy, Monday Onyeme, following a strategic meeting in Asaba, the Delta state capital.

Also joining the defection train are members of Governor Oborevwori's cabinet, local government chairmen in the state and influential grassroots mobilisers. Oborevwori is not the first sitting governor to dump the PDP since the return of democracy in 1999.

Following his defection, Hon Emomotimi Guwor, the speaker of the state House of Assembly, also dumped the PDP for the APC along with 22 members of the house.

Growth of APC in the South-South

The meeting between President Tinubu and Governor Oborevwori was a signal of the ruling APC's growth to consolidate the South-South region, where the party had been making steady gains.

In a tweet, President Tinubu confirmed the meeting between him and the governor and his counterpart from Ekiti, Biodun Oyebanji. He said he had a meaningful discussion with the governors on sustainable growth and opportunities in their states.

The president said:

"Our administration remains committed to supporting and collaborating with state governments and sub-national governments to foster long-term development and growth throughout Nigeria. I have long decided to take a bet on our dear country, Nigeria, and together, we must work tirelessly towards building a brighter future for all Nigerians. That is my Renewed Hope promise."

There have also been reports that more governors are on their way to the ruling APC. Some of the governors included Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano, Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom and Peter Obi of Enugu as well as the suspended governor of Rivers state, Siminalayi Fubara.

See the president's tweet here:

Today, I met with the governors of Delta State and Ekiti State at the State House. We engaged in meaningful discussions about the opportunities for sustainable growth in their states and discussed the critical challenges they face.

Our administration remains committed to… pic.twitter.com/Hv3Q8pgnzh

— Bola Ahmed Tinubu (@officialABAT) May 6, 2025