Okowa

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Former Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has defended his decision to leave the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and support President Bola Tinubu, saying the current administration is taking necessary steps to address Nigeria’s longstanding economic problems.

Okowa, who served as the running mate to former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar in the 2023 presidential election, made the remarks on Saturday at the All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign rally in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The former governor said his assessment of Tinubu’s policies convinced him to abandon his previous political alliance and join the ruling party.

“You all know that in 2023 I was on another ticket, but I have seen the light, and I have seen what Mr president is doing for Nigeria,” Okowa said.

He described the President’s economic decisions as necessary for rebuilding the country, arguing that previous administrations had weakened Nigeria’s economic foundations.

“It is the right thing to be done, and I have long ago crossed to the APC to join hands with Mr president because he is truly building a new Nigeria.

“When the foundation is broken, you cannot do anything. Mr president realises that successive administrations have broken the foundations of Nigeria. And today, we are on the right course because that foundation is being put right.”

Okowa also credited the Federal Government’s fiscal reforms with improving the financial position of state and local governments, particularly through increased allocations.

“Today, our states and local governments are doing so well because Mr president has continued to mobilise resources for various states and our local governments,” Okowa said.

“We no longer talk about people owing salaries; we no longer talk about people owing pensioners. Our local governments are doing projects, our states are doing projects, and we can pay salaries.

“Only a man who understands a nation’s economy can do this. The wonders that were done in Lagos are already being done in our country, Nigeria.”

Okowa’s political shift marks a major departure from his alliance with Atiku during the 2023 presidential election.

Atiku selected him as his running mate in 2022, a decision that generated divisions within the PDP, particularly among members who favoured former Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, for the position.

The Atiku-Okowa ticket eventually lost the presidential election to Tinubu and the APC.

In April 2025, Okowa publicly expressed regret over accepting the vice-presidential nomination, arguing that the PDP’s decision to field a northern presidential candidate despite expectations in the South contributed to the party’s poor performance in Delta State during the election.

By Zayyad I. Muhammad

The 2023 presidential elections present the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with a golden opportunity to wrestle power from the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC). However, the PDP faces a daunting challenge in how to utilize this opportunity. To do this, the PDP needs to present a common interest from the party’s wide, and sometimes, varying interests so as to secure for the party, sufficient internal and external support during the elections.

PDP got its calculations right. The All Progressives Congress (APC) picked its presidential candidate from the South, especially the Southwest – Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, is APC’s presidential candidate.

The emergence of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as the presidential candidate for the main opposition party – (PDP) was a product of three things. The party has settled for someone who has the national outlook; the party wants to outwit the ruling All Progressive Congress ( APC) in one of the latter’s strongholds — the North, and lastly, the party needs a strong war-chest for the 2023 presidential elections.

Atiku’s emergence was smooth, despite the political intrigues that occurred before and during the presidential primaries. The selection of Ifeanyi Okowa as Atiku’s running mate had appeared also a smooth one. But two weeks after, it is causing dangerous stirs in the PDP camp that had appeared united, initially after the primaries. Former Governor Ayo Fayose scratched the ‘ old-wound’ of the call for a southern presidential candidate, Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue state is fuming, while  Governor  Nyesom Wike’s camp is causing more ‘commotion’ within the party by threatening the much-needed unity in the party. 

To be nominated or selected as a Vice Presidential candidate, the person must bring something to the table — votes, a daring war chest, well-established political structures, or influence in the political party.

Had Atiku picked Wike, the PDP would have appeared to opt for someone that will bring a massive war-chest and “home votes”. At the same time, the PDP would appear to have succumbed to pressure and tried to calm ‘a bull in a china shop’.

The APC, on the other hand, would have been happy, if Wike had emerged as the PDP vice presidential candidate. Firstly, it would have ‘balanced’ its controversial Muslim-Muslim ticket. Secondly, the APC would have used Wike’s candidacy to consolidate its votes in one of its strongholds — the North. In the 2019 presidential elections, the APC used Peter Obi’s Vice Presidential candidacy to de-market the PDP in the north. Peter Obi’s deportation of northerners was massively used against him. Like Peter Obi, Wike doesn’t have longtime friends, political associates or structures in the north, to defend him. However, to be fair to Wike, during the campaign for the PDP presidential primaries, he was able to tour the country, thus making some new networks and contacts. Furthermore, if Atiku had picked Wike, the former would have had to work extra hard in the north, because Wike will be a good recipe for APC’s strategy in the North. With Wike as VP, those people who are unhappy with APC or have not decided, may not want to thumbprint a ballot paper with a “Wike.”

The selection of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa as Atiku’s running mate is a product of PDP’s strategy to consolidate its footings in its strongholds — the Southeast and the South-South while not jeopardizing its attempt to strike the APC in the North. Okowa is controversy-free and the North will not have any issue with him.

Any person in Governor Nyesom Wike’s shoes will certainly feel hurt and demeaned — he has been a pillar in the PDP when the party was ‘deserted’ and he’s among the very bigwigs that have never left the PDP to another party. Furthermore, Mr. Wike polled 16 votes to defeat Mr. Okowa who scored three votes in a shadow election by a committee set up by the PDP to pick a running mate as reported by many media houses in the country. Moreover, whether one likes or dislikes Wike, for sure, he has something to offer the PDP.

That window created by Atiku for the PDP to setup a committee to select for him the Vice Presidential candidate, was an error on Atiku, so to say. The selection of a running mate is the absolute right of the flagbearer. Since Atiku already had someone in his mind, that committee was unnecessary. Though, it appears it was an honest attempt to bring everybody on board in making or taking a decision.

When it comes to elections, every political party has its own strategy. Had Atiku accepted the choice of the ‘VP Selection Committee’, it would have been the first time in the history of Nigerian politics, that a political party will solely determine the VP candidate for its presidential candidate. Though the PDP said, it was Atiku that requested the party to recommend to him, a VP. Atiku has the final say!

Atiku Abubakar is a master in negotiations, give and take and reaching out to people, including adversaries. Atiku should sit down with Wike, one-on-one, to resolve all the issues. It’s politics. It’s all about winning!

Zayyad I. Muhammad writes from Abuja, Nigeria. He can be reached via; 08036070980 or zaymohd@yahoo.com.

By Sumayyah Auwal Usman

The Governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa, has been named as the vice presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party for the 2023 presidential election.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar who emerged the presidential flag-bearer of the main opposition party made the announcement on Thursday at the party’s national secretariat.

Born 8th July, 1959, Okowa attended Edo College, Benin City (1970–1976), and later proceeded to the University of Ibadan where he studied Medicine and Surgery, graduating in 1981 with an MBBS degree. 

He served as a Commissioner in the Delta State government for Agriculture and Natural Resources (July 1999 – April 2001), Water Resources Development (April 2001 – May 2003) and Health (September 2003 – October 2006).

He resigned to contest in the 2007 Delta State PDP governorship primaries, but did not win the governorship primaries. In June 2007, Ifeanyi was appointed Secretary to the Delta state Government.

He was elected Delta North Senatorial candidate in the January 2011 PDP primaries and won the election. He clinched the ticket for the gubernatorial election in 2015, and won the Delta State Gubernatorial elections.