Atiku Is Leaving PDP – Ex-Delta Gov, Okowa Reveals

A former governor of Delta State, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, has asserted that Atiku Abubakar, the former Vice President and the 2023 presidential candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is expected to depart from the party shortly.

Okowa made this announcement during an interview on ARISE TV on Tuesday. He also elaborated on his reasons for transitioning from the PDP to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), along with Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and other prominent PDP figures in Delta State.

Okowa emphasized that this decision followed extensive consultations that spanned several months, coupled with a growing disillusionment with the current state of the PDP.

“I discussed the coalition with Atiku, who is on his way out of the PDP, before we moved to the APC,” Okowa revealed, confirming rumours that the 2023 PDP presidential flagbearer is rethinking his political future.

Okowa distanced himself from the proposed grand opposition coalition led by Atiku, saying it lacked clarity, structure, and urgency.

“It does not seem that a viable vehicle has been confirmed for that coalition, nor does it appear that a coalition could build strength in such a short period,” he said.

In a show of support, Okowa endorsed President Tinubu, advocating for a complete eight-year term. The former governor of Delta State emphasized that Tinubu’s re-election in 2027 would reinforce the South’s turn in the presidential rotation and ultimately benefit Nigeria.

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He said: “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 further explained that the PDP’s internal disarray – legal wrangling over leadership, disunity, and lack of electoral strategy – convinced Delta’s political elite that the party could not compete effectively in 2027.

He said: “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 cited his own experience as a two-term opposition governor as evidence of the limitations faced when disconnected from federal power.

“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 added.

On his movement to the APC, Okowa noted that the decision was made to reconnect Delta State with “the corridors of power in Abuja”, a step he deemed necessary for attracting federal investments and development opportunities.

Responding to a recent comment by former President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, Okowa said: “Saraki has no moral right to speak. He has jumped parties several times.”