Former Delta State Governor and 2023 vice-presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, has confirmed that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar is preparing to leave the PDP.
He also announced his support for President Bola Tinubu to complete a second term, citing national stability and political continuity as his primary motivations.
Speaking during an interview on ARISE News on Tuesday, Okowa provided a candid explanation for his recent defection to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), alongside Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and other key PDP stakeholders in the state.
He described the move as the result of months of consultations and growing disillusionment with the PDP’s internal dynamics.
“I discussed the coalition with Atiku, who is on his way out of the PDP, before we moved to the APC,” Okowa revealed, confirming long-standing rumours that the 2023 PDP presidential candidate is rethinking his political future.
Distancing himself from the proposed grand opposition coalition being spearheaded by Atiku, Okowa criticized the effort as lacking coherence and direction.
“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,” he said.
Instead, Okowa pledged his support to President Tinubu, advocating for a full eight-year term to maintain political balance and uphold the South’s turn in the nation’s rotational presidency.
“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,” he stated.
He cited deepening internal crises within the PDP—legal disputes over leadership, disunity, and a lack of clear electoral strategy—as key reasons behind his decision to leave.
“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,” Okowa explained.
“It was not just a decision of the governor or myself; it was the consensus of a broader political family in Delta.”
Reflecting on his time as a two-term opposition governor, Okowa pointed to the practical challenges of operating outside federal influence.
“Though we tried to do our best in the state, we could not lay our hands on a lot of things that would have benefited us at the federal level,” he said.
Defending the defection to the APC, he emphasized the need to reconnect Delta State with the “corridors of power in Abuja” in order to attract federal investments and development opportunities.
Responding to critics, particularly former Senate President Bukola Saraki who questioned the morality of his defection, Okowa fired back:
“Saraki has no moral right to speak. He has jumped parties several times.”