Delta Defection: Drama as Okowa Fires Back at Saraki, Defends Move to APC, “You’ve No Moral Right”
- Ifeanyi Okowa has lambasted ex-Senate President Bukola Saraki for questioning his move to the ruling APC
- In an interview on Tuesday, Okowa, a former governor of Delta state and Atiku's running mate in the 2023 elections, stated that Saraki lacked the "moral authority" to criticise his defection
- Saraki earlier condemned Okowa and Governor Oborevwori’s defection, calling it a "collapse of leadership values and noted that the PDP will be repositioned
Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements.
A former governor of Delta state, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, has hit back at former Senate President Bukola Saraki for faulting his defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Source: Getty Images
Okowa, in an interview on Arise TV 'The Morning Show' on Tuesday, April 29, said Saraki lacked the moral right to criticise his decision to the APC.
Legit.ng reported that Sheriff Oborevwori, the governor of Delta state, dumped the leading opposition party, PDP.
The governor joined the APC alongside his predecessor and PDP vice presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Ifeanyi Okowa.
Reacting, Saraki in a lengthy post shared on his X page, rubbished Oborevwori and Ifeanyi Okowa's defection.
Saraki emphasised that the PDP is entering a phase of “rebirth and reorganisation” and remains capable of winning the 2027 general elections despite the high-profile exits.
Saraki said:
"Yes, it is unbecoming and shocking for the running mate to the standard bearer of a leading party to abandon ship to join the ruling party. This is unprecedented and nobody should try to justify such an act with the talk of being put under pressure. It is simply a sign of how low we have sunk as a polity. The country is experiencing a collapse of leadership values."
You defected too - Okowa tells Saraki
Source: Facebook
Reacting to Saraki’s remarks in an interview on Arise TV on Tuesday, Okowa said it was morally wrong for the former Kwara state governor, who had criss-crossed from APC to PDP, to question his defection.
Okowa restated that defections of PDP members, including him and the governor, to APC was a collective decision of all political stakeholders in the state.
“I didn’t expect somebody like Senator Bukola Saraki to be able to speak about me because he also moved to the APC before eventually returns. I don’t think he has the moral right to speak about my defection at all,” Okowa said.
Legit.ng reported that on Monday, April 28, Okowa and other defectors were formally welcomed into the APC at an event attended by Vice President Kashim Shettima and other top party leaders.
Watch Okowa's full interview below:
Read more about politicians, defections here:
- "Soul of the PDP": Keyamo speaks on Delta governor's defection
- Defections: PDP calls emergency meeting
- PDP governor breaks silence on APC defection
Tinubu reacts Delta governor, Okowa officially join APC
Meanwhile, President Tinubu has finally reacted to the recent defection of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, and his predecessor, Ifeanyi Okowa, and other PDP leaders' defection to the ruling APC.
Legit.ng reported that Tinubu described the mass defection in Delta state as a “political tsunami” unprecedented in the history of the south-south and Nigeria at large.
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Source: Legit.ng
