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By Myke Agunwa
Following the backlash ocassioned by his decision to swap the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC), former Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa has claimed that ex-Vice President, Atiku Abubakar will soon be on his way out of the PDP.
He argued that the PDP’s internal disarray, legal tussle over its leadership, disunity, and lack of electoral strategy were the reasons Delta’s political elite decided to ditch the once dominant political platform.
Okowa made the remarks on Tuesday during an interview with journalists.
He explained that the decision was taken after series of consultations that ran into months following irreconcilable leadership crisis in the PDP.
“I discussed the coalition with Atiku, who is on his way out of the PDP, before we moved to the APC,” he said.
Okowa distanced himself from the proposed 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.
Instead, Okowa threw his weight behind President Tinubu, calling for “a full eight-year tenure.”
The former Delta State governor noted that Tinubu’s re-election in 2027 would uphold the turn of the South in the presidential rotation and serve Nigeria better.
“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.
“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.
On attack by former President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, Okowa said: “Saraki has no moral right to speak. He has jumped parties several times.”
However, efforts to reach Mazi Paul Ibeh , Media Adviser to Atiku to respond to the claims was unsuccessful as his phone was reading unreachable.