Former minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godsday Peter Orubebe has formally joined the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), seven years after he attempted to scuttle the emergence of Muhammadu Buhari, as Nigerian president.

Orubebe recently resigned membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), saying that the present situation in the party does not inspire confidence that the party is ready to regain power in 2023.

Addressing the Ijaw APC family on Friday, Orubebe said he joined the APC to deliver all five candidates, especially three candidates in the Burutu Local Government Area of Delta.

The former minister wanted an Ijaw man to succeed Gov. Okowa and vigorously campaigned for it against the zoning formula in Delta state.

According to him, resources to prosecute the elections will be provided.

He sympathised with the tribesmen over their inability to secure any appointment, and assured them that he will ensure, that “what is due for Ijaw people will be secured.”

In response, Comrade Moni Seikemienghan Moni, the APC Local Government Area Chairman in Burutu, thanked Orubebe for joining the party.

Moni expressed confidence that he(Orubebe) in addition is a big plus to the party.

“Ijaw Nation now has a high-ranking politician that will stand in the gap” he added.

Recall that Orubebe had in apparent loyalty to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and President Goodluck Jonathan, on March 31st, 2015, disrupted proceedings at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) collation centre in Abuja.

He acted to forestall the admission of election results from the states favourable to the emergence of Buhari as president-elect. Orubebe was appointed a substantive minister on April 6, 2010, when Jonathan constituted his new cabinet as the acting president.

As a polling agent to Jonathan at the collation centre, he accused then INEC’s chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, of taking sides with the main opposition at that time, APC. But he later apologised to the nation over his conduct, adding that he regretted the action.