Jesutega Onokpasa, a prominent chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), sharply criticized President Bola Tinubu’s administration, declaring it has “failed woefully” in delivering good governance, economic relief, and food security to Nigerians, as stated during an interview on Arise Television, reported by TheCable, Daily Post, Naija News, and Linda Ikeji’s Blog. Onokpasa warned that Tinubu risks becoming a one-term president if performance does not improve, stating, “I can tell you for free that at the rate we are going… If we are not careful, Bola Tinubu will end up as a one-term president,” per TheCable.
Onokpasa also expressed bewilderment over the recent defection of Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, whom he referred to as his cousin, from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC on April 23, 2025, alongside former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and the state’s PDP structure, per The ICIR and Daily Trust. He argued that Oborevwori’s defection, announced after a six-hour meeting in Asaba, adds “no value” to the APC or Delta State, saying, “I don’t have the slightest idea why he defected to our party. He did not inform me. I wish him well,” per Naija News. Onokpasa emphasized that the APC’s focus on absorbing opposition figures undermines democratic principles, stating, “The whole idea of packing people into our party—that is not democracy… The idea of a one-party state is simply unattainable,” per TheCable.
The defection, celebrated by APC figures like Minister Festus Keyamo, who thanked Tinubu’s leadership on X for making “Delta finally APC,” and Imo Governor Hope Uzodimma, who called it a “major political milestone,” per The Tide News and Politics Nigeria, has stirred controversy. Onokpasa countered this enthusiasm, arguing, “It is not a question of people defecting to our party. It is a question of are we ruling well? In that sense, we failed woefully,” per Daily Post. X posts, including @DailyPostNGR and @ChuksEricE, amplified Onokpasa’s critique, with @OmegaXDreams quoting him warning of Tinubu’s potential one-term fate, reflecting public discontent amid economic hardship, with inflation at 33.88% and food prices soaring, per Nairametrics.
Critics like PDP’s Dele Momodu, on Channels Television’s Politics Today, alleged defections stem from coercion, citing harassment of figures like Okowa by agencies like the EFCC, per Nigerian Eye and Information Nigeria. Atiku Abubakar, however, downplayed the defections as normal democratic realignments, urging focus on Tinubu’s “abysmal failure,” per Tribune Online. The PDP, Delta’s ruling party since 1999, called the move “sad and unfortunate,” with Acting Chairman Iliya Damagum vowing to reclaim the state via a caretaker committee, per Naija News. Onokpasa’s remarks, aligning with public frustration over policies like fuel subsidy removal, highlight a growing rift within the APC, with Delta’s defection—despite its strategic value—seen as insufficient to mask governance challenges ahead of 2027, per TheCable and Daily Post.
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