Isaac Samuel
Former Delta State Governor and 2023 vice-presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, has disclosed that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar is set to exit the PDP.
Okowa also voiced his support for President Bola Tinubu to serve a second term.
Okowa, who was the PDP presidential candidate in the 2023 elections and his successor, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, had annouced their defection last week after a meeting at the Government House in Asaba
In an interview with ARISE News on Tuesday, Okowa provided insight into his recent defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC) along with Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and other influential PDP figures in Delta State.
He described the defection as the result of prolonged consultations and growing frustration with the direction of the PDP.
“I had a conversation with Atiku, who is also preparing to leave the PDP, before we decided to join the APC,” Okowa said, confirming speculation about Atiku’s future in the party.
He also dismissed the planned opposition coalition being promoted by Atiku, saying it lacked structure, urgency, and a clear strategy.
“I don’t see a viable coalition framework on the ground, nor the momentum needed to build one within the available time,” he said.
Rather than join the opposition alliance, Okowa endorsed President Tinubu for re-election in 2027, urging Nigerians to support the completion of his eight-year term.
He maintained that Tinubu’s second term would reinforce the South’s turn in power and pave the way for the North to produce the president thereafter.
“For the sake of national balance, President Tinubu should finish his tenure, after which the presidency can rightly return to the North,” he said.
Citing deep divisions within the PDP ranging from legal disputes to poor electoral planning, Okowa said the Delta political bloc concluded the party could no longer mount a credible challenge in 2027.
“Our decision followed wide-ranging consultations, including with apolitical elders, and it reflected the collective stance of our political network,” he said.
Okowa recalled his limitations as an opposition governor, saying being cut off from the federal centre made it difficult to secure resources and support for Delta.
“Despite our efforts, we missed out on several opportunities at the national level because we were outside the ruling party,” he noted.
He said the defection was aimed at realigning Delta State with the federal government, ensuring access to investments and development prospects.
Responding to critics like former Senate President Bukola Saraki who questioned his defection, Okowa said: “I did not expect that someone like Senator Bukola Saraki should be able to speak concerning me, because he knows that he had also moved to APC before and eventually return. So he has had movement to and fro. So, I don’t think that he has the moral right to even speak about my defection at all”.
