The Executive Assistant to Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, on Public Enlightenment (Projects and Policies), Olisa Ifeajika, has clarified that former Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, did not express regret about his vice-presidential candidacy under Atiku Abubakar in the 2023 elections.
Addressing a press conference in Asaba on Wednesday, Ifeajika responded to a report that misrepresented statements Okowa allegedly made during an interview with Arise Television on Tuesday.
The clarification was aimed at setting the record straight and correcting the inaccurate claims.
Ifeajika, who previously served as Okowa’s Chief Press Secretary, said, “The immediate past Governor, Okowa, never said he regretted being on that ticket with Atiku Abubakar. He did not say he regretted being the Vice Presidential candidate of the PDP.”
He explained that when Okowa was asked about the PDP’s performance, especially in Delta, he clarified that the shift towards supporting a southern candidate for president became evident during the campaign.
“What he said was that it was discovered that southern Nigerians had resolved on having a president from the southern extraction,” Ifeajika added.
Okowa acknowledged that while the PDP campaigned hard, the electorate in the south had made up their minds on the need for a president from their region, which led to Bola Tinubu’s victory and Peter Obi’s strong showing. “It was not that PDP had bad candidates, but the people had already decided what they wanted,” Ifeajika noted.
Ifeajika also pointed to the rise of the “Obident Movement,” which was driven by the Labour Party and caught many by surprise during the election.
He emphasised that the southern electorate’s desire for a southern president influenced the PDP’s performance in the region.
He further stated that despite these developments, Okowa remained loyal to the PDP as a party man and continued to support Atiku Abubakar’s campaign. “As a party man, Okowa could not have left the PDP. He worked for his party,” Ifeajika added.
Addressing Okowa’s recent defection to the APC, Ifeajika clarified that the move was not related to any ongoing investigations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
He stated that Okowa had answered the EFCC’s questions previously, and the commission had issued no further invitations.
He added, “PDP, if likened to a human being, is seriously hemorrhaging. Delta, on the other hand, remains a case of one family staying intact. The decision to join the APC was made after thorough discussions, with unanimous agreement from all stakeholders.”
Ifeajika also remarked on the unusual nature of the defection, describing the collective move of the PDP members in Delta to the APC as an unprecedented act, saying, “What happened on April 28 is not done anywhere in this country or beyond, where the entire people in a political party make a move as a group.”
Concluding, Ifeajika emphasised that the relationship between former Governors James Ibori and Okowa remains cordial, despite the political shifts in the state.
