Ayomide Awe
Former Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, has explained his decision to abandon his former presidential running mate, Atiku Abubakar, and embrace President Bola Tinubu, declaring that he has “seen the light” in the ruling All Progressives Congress-led administration.
Okowa, who was Atiku’s running mate on the Peoples Democratic Party ticket during the 2023 presidential election, said he switched political allegiance because he believed Tinubu was taking difficult but necessary decisions to address Nigeria’s longstanding economic challenges.
The former governor, who is now the APC senatorial candidate for Delta North, made the declaration on Saturday during the party’s presidential campaign rally in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Speaking before party supporters, Okowa said his assessment of Tinubu’s policies and administration had convinced him that the President was taking the country in the right direction.
“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,” he said.
The former governor added that his decision to join the APC was informed by his belief that the Tinubu administration was laying a new foundation for the country.
“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
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 said.
Defending the President’s economic policies, the former vice-presidential candidate argued that the Federal Government’s fiscal reforms had increased revenue available to state and local governments, enabling them to meet their financial obligations and embark on development projects.
According to him, the increased allocations have helped governments at the subnational level address salary and pension arrears while improving their capacity to execute infrastructure projects.
“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.
“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,” he added.
Okowa’s latest endorsement of Tinubu represents a significant political reversal, considering his prominent role in the PDP’s 2023 presidential campaign against the APC candidate.
In 2022, Atiku selected Okowa as his running mate for the presidential election, a decision that generated controversy within the PDP, particularly among supporters of the then Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, who was reportedly favoured by some party stakeholders for the position.
Atiku and Okowa eventually contested the election against Tinubu and his running mate, Kashim Shettima, but lost to the APC ticket.
The political relationship between Atiku and Okowa subsequently came under scrutiny following the PDP’s electoral defeat and the lingering disagreements within the opposition party.
In April 2025, Okowa publicly expressed regret over accepting the vice-presidential nomination, arguing that the PDP’s decision to zone its presidential ticket away from the South had contributed to the party’s electoral difficulties.
He maintained that the South had expected to produce President Muhammadu Buhari’s successor, but the PDP leadership opted to field Atiku, a decision he said generated discontent that affected the party’s performance, particularly in Delta State.
Okowa’s latest remarks appear to reinforce his alignment with Tinubu and the APC as political activities ahead of the 2027 general elections gather momentum.
However, his claims about the impact of the Federal Government’s economic reforms on states and local governments remain part of his assessment of the administration’s performance.
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