Former Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, has reflected on his decision to run alongside Alhaji Atiku Abubakar in the 2023 presidential election, saying he should have followed the will of his people.
The ex-governor his acceptance to be Atiku’s running mate, may have gone against the prevailing sentiments of his people, describing it as a misalignment he has since reflected deeply upon.
Okowa, who spoke on Arise Television ‘Morning Show’ on Tuesday, offered a rare look into his political calculations, the shifting tides within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and why he and other political stakeholders in Delta State have aligned with the All Progressives Congress (APC).
While defending his track record as a public servant, highlighting infrastructure development, free maternal and child healthcare, and the success of his successor, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, Okowa conceded that the choice to serve as Atiku’s running mate in 2023 came at a political cost.
“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 declared.
He linked the PDP’s failure in Delta during the presidential poll to that sentiment, acknowledging that while he ran out of loyalty to his party, the south was deeply invested in producing President Muhammadu Buhari’s successor.
However, Okowa was quick to point out that the tide turned just three weeks later in the governorship election, where PDP triumphed in 21 out of the 25 local governments.
“That showed the people still believed in us, believed in me. They said you’ve done well, and we will support the governor you have chosen.’ And they did,” he said.
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On insinuations that his defection was to have his ‘sins forgiven,’ Okowa maintained that there were no sins to be given as he had not committed any, adding that he was never arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) but only honoured an invitation by the commission.
Okowa said: “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.
“So, there are no fears concerning that at all. And I have never spoken to Adams Oshiomole; we talked for the first time only yesterday because we are of different political parts and because we are of different political parts we were not friends perse.”
He defended his defection not as a personal political maneuver but as the result of extensive consultations across Delta State, adding that continued opposition politics had placed the state at a disadvantage in terms of federal access and influence.
Addressing the moral arguments against his defection to the APC, after serving in multiple positions under PDP, Okowa said he owes no one an apology.
“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 said.
