…Says Atiku planning to dump party
…We will recover our mandates from Oborewvori, others, PDP vows
By Orkula Shaagee
In confirmation of what is being speculated in political circles, former Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, yesterday confirmed that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar is preparing to leave the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Okowa was Atiku’s running mate on the PDP ticket during the 2023 presidential election, and has remained a staunch member of the PDP before he defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) last week.
Speaking on Arise News yesterday, Okowa said he informed Atiku that Delta PDP were scheduled to hold a stakeholders meeting last week, and the outcome of the meeting was going to determine their next path because they were no longer comfortable with the PDP.
“I actually did communicate with him that we were going to have stakeholders meetings this week (in the last 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,” Okowa said.
On 20 March 2023, Atiku, Labour Party’s Peter Obi, former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, and others jointly announced the formation of a coalition aimed at challenging President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 election.
I regret running with atiku in 2023 Presidential election – Okowa
Also yesterday, the former Delta State Governor said he regretted his decision to run as the vice-presidential candidate alongside Alhaji Atiku Abubakar in the 2023 presidential election, admitting that it contradicted the zoning and wishes of his people.
He described his acceptance of the role as a misalignment with the prevailing sentiments in Delta State — an issue he said he has deeply reflected upon.
“Even when we were campaigning, I realised our people were not interested in having another northerner come into power.
“But the decision had already been taken at the federal level by the party (PDP) and I had been nominated. Still, in retrospect, I now believe I should have gone with the will of my people,” he said.
He also fired back at former Senate President Bukola Saraki for criticising his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Okowa, former presidential running mate to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the PDP in the 2023 general elections, said that Saraki lacks the moral standing to comment on or criticise his defection.
“I did not expect that someone like Senator Bukola Saraki should be able to speak concerning me, because he knows that he had also moved to APC before and eventually returned,” Okowa said.
“So he has had movement to and fro. So, I don’t think that he has the moral right to even speak about my defection at all.”
Okowa explained that the decision to defect was not taken lightly and was a collective resolution by key political figures in Delta State.
He said it was necessitated by internal crises and a lack of strategic direction within the PDP.
“Several things have been going on in the party. While I do not want to join issues with people, as stakeholders, our leaders in this state have sat down to look at the events in the last several months,” Okowa noted.
“Because of the events that we see and the communications coming out from the leadership of the PDP at the moment, it did not appear to us that that was a proper political vehicle for us to continue in.”
He further pointed to the PDP governors’ resistance to forming a coalition and the ongoing leadership crisis as clear signs that the opposition party is not prepared for serious political competition ahead of the 2027 general elections.
..PDP moves to recover mandates from Gov. Oborevwori, other defectors in Delta
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has directed its National Legal Adviser to initiate legal proceedings aimed at “reclaiming”the party’s mandate from Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori for defection.
Others whose mandates are to be reclaimed are members of the national and state assemblies, as well as other elected officials who recently defected along with Oborevwori to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The party’s Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, who made the announcement yesterday during a press briefing after the National Working Committee (NWC) meeting held in Abuja, disclosed that the NWC had also mandated the Emmanuel Ogidi-led South-South Zonal Caretaker Committee to assume control of the party structure in Delta, pending the constitution of a state caretaker committee.
Oborevwori, along with former Vice Presidential Candidate, Okowa, and several elected PDP officials in Delta State, announced their defection to the APC on April 25.
“We have instructed the zonal caretaker committee to take charge of Delta after dissolving all existing structures, as most of their members have defected,” Damagum stated.
“A caretaker committee will be constituted shortly. We’ve also directed the National Legal Adviser to initiate legal steps to recover our mandates. According to the Electoral Act, any elected official who defects automatically relinquishes the office they occupy.”
Damagum further announced that the NWC had approved zonal congresses for the South-West, North-East, and South-East regions.
He additionally announced that a caretaker committee had been approved for the North Central zone pending upcoming elections.
He said the NWC deliberated on a wide range of internal party matters and adopted key recommendations made by the PDP Governors’ Forum at its recent meeting in Ibadan.
Among the resolutions adopted were the scheduling of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting for May 27 and the national convention from Aug. 28 to Aug. 30, subject to NEC approval.
Speaking on the wave of defections, Damagum urged party members not to be discouraged.
“Yes, they [APC] may coerce or intimidate our members into defecting, but we are confident the Nigerian people will respond appropriately when the time comes.
It has happened before, and it will happen again,” he said.
He dismissed claims of internal crisis within the NWC, stating, “There is no crisis.If someone wants an excuse to justify their betrayal, they might claim there is a crisis. But the PDP remains intact and will continue to thrive.”
Damagum assured that preparations for the national convention to usher in new executives were already underway and stressed the party’s resilience.
“We may face challenges, but we’ve always resolved them internally. No amount of intimidation or mischief can bring this party down. The PDP has survived many attempts in the past—this one is child’s play,” he added.
Ogidi affirmed the zonal committee’s readiness to execute its assignment in Delta. “Our mandate is to take stock of the party’s current standing in Delta, reassure our members, and restore confidence.
We will also recommend members for the state caretaker committee to the NWC,” he said.
Ogidi reiterated that the party leadership in Bayelsa remained under Solomon Agwanana’s State Working Committee (SWC), “while Tony Aziegbemi continues to serve as chairman in Edo.”