2023 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) vice-presidential candidate and former Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, has claimed that his decision to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC) was motivated by the "collective interest of Delta State, not personal political ambition."
Speaking on Monday at a massive rally organised by the APC in Asaba, the state capital, to formally welcome him and the sitting Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, into the party, Okowa described the move as a “strategic and patriotic” restructuring for future growth and development in Delta State under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
“Today, obviously, is a great day for us in Delta State,” Okowa told a crowd of supporters.
When the news broke out on Wednesday, April 23, that we have decided to change our path, people wondered the reason. But in the history of a people, there is always a time to change their path for the common good.”
The former two-term governor said that the change to APC was necessary to align Delta State, a major contributor to the national economy with the federal government, thereby making greater opportunities for growth and prosperity available.
“Whatever decision we took was based on the common good and the need to change our path in the best interest of our state,” Okowa said.
"It was not about me. It was not about the governor, but the fact that there is the need for us to connect to Abuja.”
Reminiscing on his tenure as governor under the opposition PDP, Okowa admitted that being outside the ruling party hindered Delta’s ability to fully leverage federal resources.
“I was governor for eight years. I was in opposition. I did my best, but we lost a lot,” he recalled.
“That goodwill that is in Abuja, that resource that is in Abuja, of which Delta State is a large contributor, there was a need to connect to it.”
Okowa made it known that the decision to defect was made after broad consultations with PDP leaders and grassroots stakeholders across the state, stressing that the switch was “bold, strategic, patriotic, and well-intentioned.”
This move is bold. It is strategic. It is patriotic and it is well-intentioned,” he maintained.
“That decision that our governor took, that we needed to move after consultation with the leaders of the party, which was cascaded down to the local governments and the wards, is in the best interest of our state," he said.
Calling for unity and urging Deltans to rally behind President Tinubu and Governor Oborevwori, Okowa expressed optimism that Delta State could now take a leading role in national politics.
“It is time for us to stand together in great support for Mr President and Mr Governor,” he declared. “Together, we can truly dominate the politics in Delta State.”
He also applauded Governor Oborevwori’s leadership and courage, saying, “We trust you. We believe in you. We believe in the decision we have collectively taken.”
The political shift marks a dramatic realignment in Delta State’s political landscape.
However, on Sunday, Festus Keyamo, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, confirmed that the APC structure in the state was now firmly under Governor Oborevwori’s control, a change which is very much likely to reshape political calculations ahead of future elections.