Delta State politics is heating up as former lawmaker and Delta South Senatorial candidate in the 2023 elections, Michael Diden, popularly known as Ejele, has openly declared support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid, sparking fresh speculation of an imminent political shift in the state.
Diden, a prominent figure in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), made headlines after launching the ‘Gate to Gate for Tinubu’ campaign group, an initiative designed to mobilize grassroots support for Tinubu across the Niger Delta.
Although he insists he remains a PDP member, his bold alignment with Tinubu’s second-term agenda has stirred controversy and heightened concerns within the party.
This development comes on the heels of a controversial statement by Delta State Chief of Staff, Prince Johnson Erijo, who declared, on behalf of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, that the Governor’s tenure would conclude in 2031, in apparent alignment with the potential end of Tinubu’s second term.
“It is the way the terminal bus stop of our President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is going to end in 2031, that is the same way that of your son, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, is going to end in 2031,” Erijo announced at a high-profile church event in Sapele.
The statement, made during the 49th birthday and 27th pastoral anniversary of Archbishop Godday Iboyi of Promise Kingdom Ministry, has ignited a political firestorm, widely interpreted as a soft declaration of support for Tinubu by Oborevwori’s camp, and a signal of his gradual estrangement from the PDP.
PDP’s Unity Under Pressure
Both Ejele’s pro-Tinubu mobilization and the Governor’s perceived alignment with the APC-led federal government have rattled the PDP’s base in Delta State, a traditional stronghold of the party.
Despite the lack of formal defections, the signals are unmistakable.
Governor Oborevwori has urged his supporters to back Tinubu, subtly implying that allegiance to him is now synonymous with loyalty to the President, a statement that has raised red flags within PDP ranks.
Analysts Warn of Strategic Realignment
Political observers say these developments point to a calculated realignment by key Delta political figures who see greater survival and influence in aligning with the center.
“There’s no ambiguity here,” one analyst said. “Ejele’s campaign for Tinubu, paired with Erijo’s 2031 projection, is part of a broader strategy to ease Oborevwori and his allies into the APC fold ahead of 2027.”
Whether these overtures culminate in formal defections remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: Delta’s political status quo is shifting, and fast.
