The defection of Senator Clifford Ordia (frequently referred to as Francis in some local circles) is a major storyline in Edo State right now as the formal reception took place on Monday, April 13, 2026, at Eguare Primary School in Irrua, Esan Central LGA. The event was hosted by the Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo. This is particularly symbolic because Okpebholo is the man who succeeded Ordia in the Senate for the Edo Central seat.
Ordia didn’t move alone. He led a significant “political family” of former local government chairmen, ward leaders, and grassroots mobilizers from the PDP into the APC.
Senator Ordia represented Edo Central (the Esan heartland) for two terms (2015–2023). His exit further weakens the PDP’s traditional grip on the Esan people, which has been the party’s most reliable voting bloc in the state for decades.
For Governor Okpebholo, receiving his predecessor into the party is a massive “home win.” It consolidates his influence in his own senatorial district and presents a united front for the APC in a region that used to be a “no-go area” for them.
This move comes amid a broader national trend where the PDP is struggling with internal leadership crises (the “Ibadan Convention” fallout). In Edo, it leaves the PDP the former ruling party in the state scrambling to replace its top-tier influencers ahead of future electoral cycles.
The APC is already using this momentum to signal that the PDP is “extinct” in Edo Central. For the PDP, the focus now shifts to whether they can retain their remaining heavyweights in Edo South and North, or if the “Okpebholo effect” will continue to pull more opposition figures toward the center.
​While some early reports used the name “Francis,” the Senator in question is Clifford Ordia, the former Deputy Minority Whip of the 9th Senate.
