The defection of Senator Ned Nwoko to the All Progressives Congress (APC) has been described as unsurprising and insignificant by leaders of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta North Senatorial District.

This position was made clear in a communique issued at the end of a recent meeting held at the Delta North PDP Secretariat, Ogwashi-Ukwu.

The meeting, convened by the Delta North PDP Chairman, Engr. Dan Ossai, focused on reviewing the circumstances surrounding Senator Nwoko’s defection and the reasons he cited for leaving the party.

According to the communique, Sen. Nwoko’s defection did not shake the party as he is widely regarded as an inconsistent politician with a history of switching between political parties. The leaders revealed that even after news of his planned defection surfaced two weeks prior to his official exit, no effort was made to dissuade him. His departure, they argued, has had no adverse effect on the PDP but instead created a “breath of fresh air” within the party.

The communique highlighted Nwoko’s political journey, noting that after serving one term in the House of Representatives in 1999 under the PDP platform, he repeatedly left and rejoined the party while pursuing various political ambitions, with each ending in failure. Despite this track record, the PDP supported him to secure his Senate seat in 2023.

One of the reasons cited by Senator Nwoko for his defection was the state government’s alleged refusal to fund the stepdown of electricity from the Okpai Power Plant in Ndokwa East Local Government Area.

However, the PDP leaders clarified that the project is a Federal Government initiative involving Agip and NNPCL. They stated that the State Government requested a roundtable discussion among all stakeholders before committing resources, but rather than facilitate such engagement, Nwoko chose to publicly criticize the government.

The communique also dismissed Nwoko’s grievance about the Ogwashi-Ukwu dam project in Aniocha South Local Government Area. It explained that the dam, being a Federal Government project, cannot be funded or managed by the State Government without official approval from the Federal authorities.

Additionally, the PDP leaders criticized Nwoko’s demand for immediate approval of a rail network linking Delta North to other parts of the state, describing it as unrealistic due to the extensive planning and financial appropriations required.

The communique further accused Senator Nwoko of failing to deliver on his campaign promises since his election to the Senate. Among the unfulfilled pledges was the payment of ₦50 million to 20 youths in each of the nine Local Government Areas of Delta North. Instead of addressing these failures, the leaders said, Nwoko has resorted to blackmail to distract Deltans from his lack of performance.

Nwoko has shifted his focus to advocating for the creation of Anioma State, a move the PDP leaders described as a “campaign gimmick” intended to mislead the public, adding that the Senator was making the process of state creation appear far simpler than it is.

The PDP leaders also alleged that the true motive behind Nwoko’s defection was his desire to secure payment of an outstanding commission from the Paris Club refund, a payment that was frozen before he became a Senator.

At the end of the meeting, the party leaders unanimously passed a vote of implicit confidence in Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, commending him for his commitment to fulfilling his campaign promises to Deltans.