Atiku’ll soon leave PDP –Okowa

• Backs Tinubu for 2027, says he regrets running under PDP in 2023 By Philip NwosuFormer Delta State governor and 2023 vice-presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, yesterday claimed that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar is on his way out of the PDP. googletag.

cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1718806029429-0'); }); Speaking on Arise TV yesterday, Okowa said that Atiku, the PDP’s 2023 presidential flag bearer, was aware and had been consulted on the decision by him, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and other Delta PDP stakeholders to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC).



“I discussed the coalition with Atiku, who is on his way out of the PDP, before we moved to the APC,” Okowa, he said. The former governor distanced himself from the proposed grand opposition coalition reportedly led by Atiku, describing it as lacking clarity, structure and urgency. $(document).

ready(function(){(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({})}); “It does not seem that a viable vehicle has been confirmed for that coalition, and it doesn’t also appear that a coalition could build strength in such a short period,” he said.

In a dramatic reversal of political loyalty, Okowa threw his weight behind President Bola Tinubu and called for the president to complete a full eight-year tenure.“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,” Okowa stated.The former governor, who served two terms from 2015 to 2023, cited the PDP’s internal dysfunction as a key reason for the mass defection in Delta State. He pointed to leadership tussles, lack of unity and absence of a coherent electoral strategy as signs that the party was no longer viable moving into 2027.

“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 the governor or myself. It was the consensus of a broader political family in Delta,” he explained.

Okowa also noted that his experience as a state governor during an opposition administration shaped his perspectives on the need for alignment with the Federal Government. $(document).ready(function(){(adsbygoogle = window.

adsbygoogle || []).push({})}); “We tried to do our best in the state, but we could not lay our hands on a lot of things that would have benefited us at the federal level,” he said, adding that joining the APC was necessary to reconnect Delta State with the corridors of power in Abuja.In response to criticism from former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, Okowa dismissed Saraki’s remarks, saying, “He has no moral right to speak.

He has jumped parties several times.”The development marks a deepening of the crisis within the PDP, as defections continue to rattle the opposition party amid uncertainty over its future leadership and electoral relevance.Okowa also admitted that his decision to run as the vice-presidential candidate alongside Atiku in the 2023 general election contradicted the wishes of his people and might have cost the PDP support in the South.

He described his decision to accept the nomination as one made out of loyalty to the PDP, but conceded it was a misalignment with the prevailing mood in Delta and the broader southern region.“Even when we were campaigning, I realised our people were not interested in having another northerner come into power, bbut 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 stated.

$(document).ready(function(){(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).

push({})}); The former governor reflected on the consequences of that decision, particularly the PDP’s loss in Delta during the presidential election. He acknowledged that southern Nigeria strongly desired to produce President Muhammadu Buhari’s successor, a sentiment that the PDP ticket ignored.Despite the setback, Okowa highlighted the PDP’s victory in the Delta governorship election just weeks later, winning 21 of 25 local governments, as evidence of continued public support.

“That showed the people still believed in us and in me. They said I had done well and we would support the governor I had chosen and they did,” he stated.He defended his record as governor, citing accomplishments in healthcare, infrastructure and continuity under Oborevwori.

He also addressed accusations surrounding his recent defection to the APC, stressing that the move was based on extensive consultations and not personal ambition.“This was not about me. It was a collective decision by a wide cross-section of Delta’s political stakeholders,” he explained, adding that opposition politics had hindered the state’s ability to benefit from federal resources and influence.

Reacting to suggestions that he defected to escape scrutiny, Okowa dismissed the claims, asserting that he had done nothing wrong. $(document).ready(function(){(adsbygoogle = window.

adsbygoogle || []).push({})}); “I did well for the people of the state. Petitions can be written by anybody, but whatever petitions are written, the right of investigation is with the EFCC.

I was never arrested. I only honoured an invitation. I have never spoken to Adams Oshiomhole until yesterday,” he said.

On criticisms of his political switch, he maintained that his conscience was clear.“Yes, I was a key player in the PDP from the formative stages, but the PDP of today is not the same party we built in 1998. When you find that the values and vision you once believed in are no longer there, then you step away,” he argued.

As the 2027 elections approach, Okowa’s frank reflections and recent political pivot appear to signal a deeper reconfiguration of southern politics, one that could significantly shape the battle for the presidency and the future of the PDP.The post Atiku’ll soon leave PDP –Okowa appeared first on The Sun Nigeria..