AH, Akwukwu Igbo 9 Jan. 2026
Akwukwu Igbo stood still as history was made in Oshimili North Local Government Area, with a massive defection of Labour Party (LP) and Obidient family members into the African Democratic Congress (ADC). The landmark political realignment was led by Hon. Ashinze Obiodogwu, who formally defected alongside a large cross-section of LP executives and grassroots supporters from Okpanam, signalling a decisive shift in the political direction of the area.
The event, which took place in Akwukwu Igbo, drew top ADC leadership from across Delta North. Leading the delegation was the Delta State Chairman of ADC, Engr. Austine Okolie, accompanied by Hon. Kenneth Gbandi, a national chieftain of ADC Nigeria and the Diaspora, former National Deputy Chairman (Diaspora Engagement), and former Senatorial Candidate for Delta North. Also present were Hon. Nixon Odimbu, ADC House of Representatives Candidate for Aniocha–Oshimili Federal Constituency in the 2023 elections; the immediate past National Youth Leader of ADC; the Delta North Woman Leader, Faith Okolo; and the Delta State Secretary of ADC, Yebu Ebiowei Napoleon.
Hon. Ashinze Obiodogwu arrived with the full executive structure of the LP/Obidient movement in Okpanam, alongside ward executives of the ADC in Okpanam/Ugbolu, underscoring the breadth and coordination of the political transition. This major political shake-up did not occur in isolation. It follows the official national realignment led by His Excellency, Mr. Peter Obi, and the consequential declaration at the state level by His Excellency, Deacon Ken Pela, former Labour Party Governorship Candidate in Delta State.
The collapse of the LP/Obidient family in Oshimili North mirrors a growing national trend, one driven by the search for a credible, structured, and ideologically aligned political platform capable of consolidating the reformist momentum of 2023. The ADC has increasingly emerged as that platform.
At the ceremony, Engr. Austine Okolie formally received the defectors into the ADC, presenting them with membership cards through the established sequence of ward and local government chairmen. He subsequently administered the oath of allegiance and charged the new members to serve as worthy ambassadors of the party, committed to discipline, unity, and grassroots mobilisation.
In his remarks, Hon. Kenneth Gbandi, himself an indigene of Akwukwu Igbo warmly welcomed the defectors into what he described as an inclusive and forward-looking ADC family. He assured them of equal opportunities, internal democracy, and a shared commitment to building a people-driven political movement capable of winning elections and governing responsibly.
The strategic implications of this development for ADC in Delta State are profound. In the 2023 general elections, the Labour Party won Delta State convincingly at the presidential level, demonstrating the depth of popular support for the Obidient movement across ethnic, religious, and generational lines. The ongoing migration of that political base into the ADC effectively transfers this goodwill, energy, and grassroots strength into a party structure that is better positioned for long-term consolidation and competitive elections.
With Oshimili North now firmly aligning with this national realignment, ADC is strengthening its foothold in Delta North and positioning itself as a major contender in future electoral contests. The momentum generated by this defection signals not just a change of party, but a strategic convergence of national reform aspirations with a platform ready to translate popular support into electoral victory and effective governance.
What unfolded in Akwukwu Igbo is therefore more than a local political event, it is a microcosm of a broader national reconfiguration, one that places the ADC at the heart of Nigeria’s evolving democratic landscape.
