Former Delta State Governor Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa has confessed that he regrets accepting the role of vice-presidential candidate to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar in the 2023 general election, adding that it was a major misstep, one he now deeply regrets. The former People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain admitted that his decision contradicted the zoning principle and went against the desires of his people in Delta State.
During a candid interview on Arise Television, Okowa revealed he knew early on that the candidacy was unpopular in the South. “Even when we were campaigning, I realised our people were not interested in having another northerner come into power,” he said. “But the decision had already been taken by the PDP at the federal level, and I had been nominated. Still, in retrospect, I now believe I should have gone with the will of my people.”
This bombshell comes just weeks after Okowa’s defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC), a move that has stirred controversy within political circles. Reacting to criticism from former Senate President Bukola Saraki, Okowa did not hold back. “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 returned. So he has had movement to and fro. I don’t think he has the moral right to even speak about my defection.”
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Defending his switch to the APC, Okowa described it as a collective decision made by key stakeholders in Delta State. He emphasized that the internal chaos within the PDP and the party’s weak strategic positioning were major factors in their decision. “Several things have been going on in the party. While I do not want to join issues with people, our leaders in this state have sat down to look at the events in the last several months,” he stated.
According to him, the PDP’s failure to form a united coalition and its persistent leadership crisis are strong indications that the party is not serious about mounting a credible opposition in 2027. “Because of the events that we see and the communications coming out from the leadership of the PDP, it did not appear to us that that was a proper political vehicle for us to continue in.”
Okowa’s comments have sparked fresh debate over the future of the PDP and the political realignments already taking shape ahead of the next presidential election. As 2027 draws closer, all eyes will be on former allies and new rivals — with Okowa now firmly positioned on the opposite side of the political divide.