Former Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has alleged that ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar is preparing to leave the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Okowa, who was Atiku’s running mate in the 2023 presidential election, made the claim during an interview on Arise News on Tuesday. This comes shortly after Okowa himself officially joined the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday.
Atiku Abubakar, the PDP’s presidential candidate in the last election, had previously announced the formation of a coalition with other political figures, including Labour Party’s Peter Obi and former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, aimed at challenging President Bola Tinubu in 2027.
Okowa expressed regret for his decision to align with Atiku, a northerner, in the 2023 election, stating that he now believes he should have supported a southern candidate, reflecting the sentiment of his people. “Even when we were campaigning, I realised our people were not interested in having another northerner come into power,” he said. “But the decision had already been taken at the federal level by the party, and I had been nominated. Still, in retrospect, I now believe I should have gone with the will of my people.”
He pointed to the election of the current Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, as evidence of the people’s continued confidence in their leadership.
When questioned about his communication with Atiku prior to his departure from the PDP, Okowa stated, “I actually did communicate with him that we were going to have stakeholder’s meetings this week and that it was going to be a leadership meeting and the outcome of that meeting was going to determine our next path because we were no longer comfortable with the PDP. And I also know that he is already heading out of the PDP from the communications he has passed on to me, and that Nigerians know already.”
The claims by Okowa have sparked further speculation about the future of the PDP and the potential realignment of political forces ahead of the 2027 elections. Atiku Abubakar has yet to publicly respond to Okowa’s assertions.
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