Ezekiel Awojide
A former Governor of Delta State, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, has said he regretted being the running mate of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in 2023.
He said he ought to have rejected the offer since it was against the sentiments of his people.
Okowa opened up while speaking on Arise Television’s Morning Show on Monday, adding that during the campaign, he realised that his people were not interested in having another northerner as President after the eight-year tenure of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Funnily enough, Okowa was the head of the southern governors’ forum, where the decision was taken among the governors in 2014 that Buhari’s successor must come from the southern region.
He said, “Even when we were campaigning, I realised our people were not interested in having another northerner come into power.
“But the decision had already been taken at the federal level by the party, and I had been nominated. Still, in retrospect, I now believe I should have gone with the will of my people.”
He also said that Atiku is preparing to leave the PDP.
He declared his support for President Bola Tinubu to complete a second term in office, citing the need for national stability and political continuity.
Okowa explained why he defected from the PDP to the ruling All Progressives Congress alongside Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and other key PDP stakeholders in Delta State.
He described the move as the peak of months of consultations and disenchantment with the state of the PDP, adding that the ongoing coalition aimed at voting out Tinubu in 2027 won’t work.
He said, “I discussed the coalition with Atiku, who is on his way out of the PDP before we moved to the APC.
“It does not seem that a viable vehicle for a coalition has been confirmed, nor does it appear that a coalition could build strength in such a short period.
“For the stability of this nation, it is best for us to have him complete his eight-year tenure. Then the presidency can move back to the North. I believe that is the right thing.
“We had various levels of meetings with several stakeholders and even consulted some of our leaders who are not politicians before we came to this decision.
“It was not just a decision of the governor or myself; it was the consensus of a broader political family in Delta.”
He also condemned critics, particularly former Senate President Bukola Saraki, who questioned the morality of his defection.
“Saraki has no moral right to speak. He has jumped parties several times,” Okowa added.
Saraki, a former president of the Senate, defected to the APC in 2014 with Atiku before they returned to the PDP years after.
