Delta State Delta is a States of Nigeria, state in the South South (Nigeria), South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria. Named after the Niger Delta—a large part of which is in the state—the state was formed from the former Bendel State, on 27 August 1 ...

, situated in

Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...

's southern region, has had various leaders since Nigeria gained independence in 1960, both military and civilian. After independence in 1960, Nigeria had only three regions, and the area of the future Delta State was located in the Western Region. The Mid-Western Region was separated from the Western Region in August 1963 and had

Dennis Osadebay Dennis Chukude Osadebay (29 June 1911 — 26 December 1994) was a Nigerian politician, poet, journalist and former premier of the now defunct Mid-Western Region of Nigeria, which now comprises Edo State and Delta State. He was one of the p ...

as its initial Premier. Osadebay served until January 1966, when he was replaced by David Akpode Ejoor, the first military governor. Control of the region was contested during the

Nigerian Civil War The Nigerian Civil War (6 July 1967 – 15 January 1970), also known as the Biafran War, Nigeria-Biafra War, or Biafra War, was fought between Nigeria and the Republic of Biafra, a Secession, secessionist state which had declared its independen ...

(1967–1970), and Ejoor was replaced by

Samuel Ogbemudia Samuel Osaigbovo Ogbemudia (17 September 1932 – 9 March 2017) was a Nigerian army officer and politician. He was military Governor (1967–1975) of the Mid-West State, later renamed Bendel State, part of which in turn later became Edo State. ...

. Ogbemudia governed the Mid-Western Region from September 1967 to July 1975. The region was renamed and reorganised as the

Bendel State The Mid-Western Region was a division of Nigeria from 1963 to 1991, from 1976 being known as the Bendel state. It was formed in June 1963 from Benin and Delta provinces of the Western Region, and its capital was Benin City. It was renamed a pro ...

on 17 March 1976, its name a combination of the old Benin and Delta provinces. Some governors during this time period include

George Agbazika Innih George Agbazika Innih (September 25, 1938 – August 14, 2002) was a Nigerian Army general and statesman. He was the military governor of Bendel and Kwara States. Early years George Agbazika Innih was born on September 25, 1938, at Agenebode, ...

, Husaini Abdullahi, and

Ambrose Folorunsho Alli Ambrose Folorunsho Alli (22 September 1929 – 22 September 1989) was a Nigerian medical professor who served as Executive Governor of the defunct Nigerian state of Bendel State (now the Nigerian states of Edo and Delta) between 1979 and 198 ...

. Ogbemudia also returned for a three-month stint as a civilian governor in 1983 before the military reasserted control. The modern Delta State was established on 27 August 1991, following the division of Bendel State into

Edo Edo (), also romanized as Jedo, Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of Tokyo. Edo, formerly a (castle town) centered on Edo Castle located in Musashi Province, became the '' de facto'' capital of Japan from 1603 as the seat of the Tokugawa shogu ...

and

Delta Delta commonly refers to: * Delta (letter) (Δ or δ), the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet * D (NATO phonetic alphabet: "Delta"), the fourth letter in the Latin alphabet * River delta, at a river mouth * Delta Air Lines, a major US carrier ...

states.

Felix Ibru Felix Ovudoroye Ibru (7 December 1935 – 12 March 2016) was a Nigerian businessman, architect and politician. He was the first democratically elected Governor of Delta State and Senator for Delta Central Senatorial District. Until his death he ...

became the first civilian governor of Delta State from January 1992 to November 1993, followed by military governors. In the democratic era,

James Ibori James Onanefe Ibori (born 4 August 1959) is a Nigerian politician who was Governor of Delta State in Nigeria from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007. An ethnic Urhobo by descent, Ibori is a member of the people’s Democratic Party(PDP). He is a leade ...

served from 1999 to 2007, and was succeeded by

Emmanuel Uduaghan Dr. Emmanuel Eweta Uduaghan (born 22 October 1954) is a retired Nigerian politician and doctor who served as Governor of Delta State from 2007 to 2015. He assumed office via an inconclusive election on 29 May 2007 and was a member of the Peop ...

Ifeanyi Okowa Ifeanyichukwu Arthur Okowa (born 8 July 1959) is a Nigerian doctor and politician who served as Governor of Delta State from May 2015 to May 2023. He was a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (Nigeria), People's Democratic Party, he was th ...

served from 2015 to 2023, followed by

Sheriff Oborevwori Sheriff Francis Orohwedor Oborevwori (born 19 June 1963) is a Nigerian politician who has served as the governor of Delta State since 2023. He previously served as speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, representing the Okpe Constituency ...

, who is the incumbent.

List of governors

Western Region

The Western Region was governed by a Premier and a ceremonial Governor. From October 1954 to December 1959,

Obafemi Awolowo Obafemi Jeremiah Oyeniyi Awolowo (6 March 1909 – 9 May 1987) was a Nigerian politician who served as the first Premier of the Western region of Nigeria. He was known as one of the key figure towards Nigeria's independence movement from 1957 ...

served as the region's first Premier, during which he implemented the Universal Primary Education program. He was succeeded by

Samuel Ladoke Akintola Chief Samuel Ládòkè Akíntọ́lá otherwise known as ''S.L.A.'' (6 July 1910 – 15 January 1966) was a Nigerian politician, aristocrat, orator, and lawyer. He served as Oloye Aare Ona Kakanfo XIII of Yorubaland and served as premier ...

, who held the position until the region's political crisis escalated in the early 1960s. Meanwhile,

Adesoji Aderemi Oba (ruler), Oba Sir Titus Martins Adesoji Tadeniawo Aderemi (Atobatele I), alias Adesoji Aderemi (15 November 1889 – 3 July 1980), was a Nigerian Politician, political figure and Yoruba people, Yoruba traditional ruler as the Ooni (Monarch, K ...

served as the Governor of the Western Region, a largely ceremonial role that represented the British monarchy until Nigeria became a republic in 1963. The Premier was responsible for the region's executive functions. Administrators were usually appointed to rule a state when there is a political crisis or state of emergency. In 1962, a political crisis occurred when Governor Aderemi dismissed Akintola following allegations of corruption and maladministration. This led to a

state of emergency A state of emergency is a situation in which a government is empowered to put through policies that it would normally not be permitted to do, for the safety and protection of its citizens. A government can declare such a state before, during, o ...

in the region. During the emergency, Moses Adekoyejo Majekodunmi was appointed as the temporary administrator, displacing the region's political leadership. After six months, Akintola was reinstated as Premier following a court ruling overturning his dismissal. The political instability during this period contributed to the regional tensions that persisted even after the Western Region was split and the Mid-Western Region was created in 1963.

Mid-Western Region

The Mid-Western Region of Nigeria was created on 9 August 1963. The region was carved out of the Western Region, becoming Nigeria's fourth region. The Mid-Western Region initially had a Premier, but later military governors would also serve as the chief officials.

served as the region's first civilian leader, and was Premier from August 1963 to January 1966. Political turmoil led to military administrations, starting with David Akpode Ejoor in January 1966. The region was taken by the

Biafran Armed Forces The Biafran Armed Forces (BAF) were the military of the Republic of Biafra, which existed from 1967 until 1970. History At the beginning of the Nigerian Civil War, Biafra had 3,000 soldiers. This number grew as the war progressed, ultimatel ...

during the

, with

Albert Okonkwo Major Albert Nwazu Okonkwo () was a Nigerian military officer and later a Major in the Biafran Army Medical Corps during the Nigerian Civil War. Originally from Igbuzor (IBUSA), in Oshimili North Local Govt. of Delta State. He was a Medical Doct ...

administering the area from August to September 1967 on behalf of Biafra.

served as military governor from September 1967 to July 1975.

Bendel State

Following administrative changes in Nigeria, the Mid-Western Region was renamed

on 17 March 1976. This renaming was part of a broader national effort to reorganise Nigeria's states and

local governments Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of governance or public administration within a particular sovereign state. Local governments typically constitute a subdivision of a higher-level political or administrative unit, such a ...

under the regime of General

Murtala Mohammed Murtala Ramat Muhammed (; 8 November 1938 – 13 February 1976) was a Nigerian military officer and the fourth head of state of Nigeria. He led the 1966 Nigerian counter-coup in overthrowing the military regime of Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi a ...

was the first military governor of Bendel State. He was followed by Husaini Abdullahi, who governed from March 1976 to July 1978.

Abubakar Waziri Abubakar Waziri (28 September 1940) was the Military Governor of Bendel State in Nigeria from July 1978 to September 1979 during the transitional period of military to civilian government under General Olusegun Obasanjo. Later he was military go ...

served as the military administrator from 24 July 1978 to 30 September 1979.

was elected as the first executive civilian governor in October 1979 under the

Unity Party of Nigeria The Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) was a Nigerian political party that was dominant in western Nigeria during the second republic (1978–1983). The party revolved around the political leadership of Obafemi Awolowo, a sometimes polemical politicia ...

and served until September 1983. Samuel Ogbemudia was elected as a civilian governor under the

National Party of Nigeria The National Party of Nigeria (NPN) was the dominant political party in Nigeria during the Second Republic (1979–1983). History Formation The party's beginning could be traced to private and sometimes secret meetings among key Northern Nigeri ...

and briefly served from October to December 1983. His brief tenure was due to the 1983 military coup to oust

Alhaji Shehu Shagari Shehu Usman Aliyu Shagari (; 25 February 1925 – 28 December 2018) was a Nigerian politician who was the first democratically elected president of Nigeria, after the transfer of power by military head of state General Olusegun Obasanjo in 19 ...

and install

Muhammadu Buhari Muhammadu Buhari (born 17 December 1942) is a Nigerian politician who served as the president of Nigeria from 2015 to 2023. A retired Nigerian army major general, he was the military head of state of Nigeria from 31 December 1983 to 27 Augu ...

as military head of state.

Jeremiah Timbut Useni Jeremiah Timbut Useni (16 February 1943 – 23 January 2025) was a Nigerian army lieutenant general, who served as minister responsible for the administration of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja under the Sani Abacha military junta. He ser ...

took office in January 1984 and led till 27 August 1985, followed by

John Mark Inienger John Mark Inienger (16 April 1945 – 8 February 2002) was a Nigerian Army major general who served as ECOMOG field commander in Liberia, governor of Bendel State between 1985 and 1988, during the military administration of General Ibrahim Babang ...

from September 1985 to July 1988. Jonathan Tunde Ogbeha governed from July 1988 to August 1990, and John Ewerekumoh Yeri served from August 1990 to 27 August 1991. The state was divided into

and

states on 27 August 1991 with Luke Chijiuba Ochulor serving as the first military governor of the newly formed Delta State.

Delta State

Delta State was established on 27 August 1991, following the division of Bendel State into Edo and Delta States. A new office was created for the 1999 elections: deputy governor of Delta State. Deputies were elected on a joint ticket with the gubernatorial candidate, and thus share the same party by default. The 2011 Delta State gubernatorial re-run election took place after the annulment of the 2007 election by the Federal High Court, which had initially declared

of the People's Democratic Party as the winner. The re-run, organised by the

Independent National Electoral Commission Independent National Electoral Commission may refer to: *Independent National Electoral Commission (Burundi) *Independent National Electoral Commission (Democratic Republic of the Congo) *Independent National Electoral Commission (Guinea) The Inde ...

, resulted in Uduaghan retaining his position by winning in 12 out of the 22 local government areas where results were collated, defeating Great Ogboru of the Democratic People's Party, who secured victories in 10 local government areas.

Notes

References

Citations

Works cited

* * * * {{cite journal , last=Iweze , first=Daniel Olisa , title=Historical Perspective of Anioma Struggle for Identity in Nigeria Since 1951 , journal=Journal of African Studies and Research Forum , year=2024 , issn=2948-2399

*Main