Former Delta State governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, has fired back at former Senate President Bukola Saraki over the latter’s comment criticising his recent defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing Saraki as lacking the “moral right” to condemn his action.
Okowa, who was the PDP’s vice-presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, formally joined the APC on Monday alongside the incumbent Delta State governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, and several key political stakeholders in the state. The defection ceremony took place in Asaba, the state capital, days after initial reports surfaced last Wednesday.
Reacting to the development last week, Saraki said it was “shocking and unbecoming” that a prominent PDP figure like Okowa would switch allegiance to the ruling party.
But, in a sharp rebuttal during an interview on Arise News Channel on Tuesday, Okowa questioned Saraki’s moral authority to weigh in on his decision, pointing out that Saraki had himself defected to the APC in 2014 before returning to the PDP in 2018.
“I didn’t expect that somebody like Senator Bukola Saraki would be able to speak concerning me because he had also moved to APC before and eventually, he returned [to PDP],” Okowa said.
“He had moved to and fro. I don’t think he has a moral right to speak about my defection at all. I don’t want to join issues with him.”
Okowa maintained that the decision to defect was not personal but rather a consensus reached by his political base in Delta State.
“My move to join the APC was a joint decision taken by my political family in Delta state,” he stated.
The former governor also responded to claims that his defection was motivated by fear of prosecution or a desire to evade accountability.
When asked about insinuations that he joined the APC to have his “sins forgiven,” Okowa dismissed the claims, saying, “In the first instance, there are no sins to be forgiven because no sins were committed.”
He also denied reports that he had been arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
“I was not arrested by the EFCC. A communication was sent to me when I was not at my place; I was overseas at that time. When I returned, I reported to the EFCC and answered the query,” he said.
“As I communicated to the public the last time, I’m not afraid to be investigated. I had worked for the people of Delta state. Majority of the people understand that I did work for them. Petitions can be written by anybody. Whatever the petitions, the right of investigation is that of the EFCC. There are no fears at all.”
Okowa’s defection is the latest in a string of high-profile exits from the PDP amid growing internal divisions and a shifting political landscape ahead of the next electoral cycle.
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