2023 Election: Top Lawmaker Mentions One Big Mistake of PDP, Atiku as Party Battles to Survive
- Senator Abba Moro criticises the PDP’s choice of Ifeanyi Okowa as Vice Presidential candidate, calling it a political miscalculation
- Moro believes the PDP could have won the 2023 election if a different candidate had been chosen, pointing to Okowa’s failure to deliver his state
- The Senator claims Okowa’s recent defection to the APC shows his lack of commitment to the PDP, which contributed to the party's poor performance in the election
Senator Abba Moro, representing Benue South Senatorial District and the Senate Minority Leader, has stated that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) made a significant political miscalculation in selecting Senator Ifeanyi Okowa as the Vice Presidential candidate for the 2023 Presidential election.
Moro’s comments come in the wake of Okowa’s recent defection to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), along with several other political figures.
Source: UGC
Moro criticises Okowa’s vice presidential candidacy
In an appearance on Channels TV's Politics Today, Senator Moro described the choice of Okowa, the former Governor of Delta state and current Governor, as a strategic blunder, Vanguard reported.
He argued that had the PDP selected a different candidate for the Vice Presidency, the party might have had a better chance of winning the election.
“It was a political miscalculation to have picked Senator Ifeanyi Okowa as the Vice Presidential candidate of the PDP in the 2023 Presidential election.
"I believe that the PDP could have won the election if they had picked a different candidate," Moro stated.
The senator’s comments came shortly after Okowa, alongside his Governor, left the PDP and joined the APC, a move that has raised questions about loyalty within the opposition party, Daily Trust reported.
More speaks on the importance of political parties
Senator Moro further noted that party loyalty played a crucial role in electoral success, emphasising the strong connection between party members and their constituencies.
He remarked on the political ramifications of the defection, highlighting how Okowa’s move could impact the PDP.
“Even without the pronouncement of the Supreme Court that it is the parties that individuals vote for, we all know that people identify with political parties. Political parties win where the majority of the electorate are members or sympathisers of the party,” he added.
Moro welcomed the defection, saying that it would allow the PDP to focus on the upcoming challenges.
“He has walked away from the PDP and gone to the APC, fine by us in the PDP, let the game begin,” he said.
Atiku’s judgement on Okowa: A Mistake?
When questioned about Alhaji Atiku Abubakar’s choice of Okowa as his running mate in the 2023 election, Senator Moro did not mince words.
He believed the decision was an error of judgement.
“I think there was an error of judgement on the part of everybody involved in the choice of Okowa as the candidate. How else do you characterise this scenario? A sitting governor, a former senator, or a vice-presidential candidate of the party couldn’t deliver his state for the presidential candidate?” Moro said.
He went on to highlight how Okowa’s inability to secure his state for the PDP was a glaring flaw.
Despite his high-profile role, Okowa’s state went to the opposition, with only one of the three senators from the state winning on the PDP ticket.
“PDP won only one Senatorial election from Delta State, and I can tell you today that the one who won may have done so because of his personal contributions to the community,” Moro remarked.
Moro: Okowa lacks commitment
Senator Moro further questioned Okowa’s commitment to the PDP, pointing to his regret after the election loss and his recent defection to the APC.
According to Moro, this demonstrated that Okowa’s heart was never truly in the PDP’s campaign.
Source: Twitter
“You can safely conclude that we lost the election because of lack of commitment. How can you explain that after losing a state that should have been an easy win for the PDP, Okowa is now talking about regretting being on the ticket?
“That means his soul was not in the PDP, his soul was not in that election, and that is why we performed so poorly in that election," he asked.
Moro’s statement reflects the growing division within the PDP, as party members assess what went wrong during the 2023 election and look towards future political strategies.
Atiku to leave PDP ahead of 2027 election,' Okowa speaks
Previously, Legit.ng reported that former Delta state governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, has said that former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, who was the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), will soon leave the party.
Okowa said this on Tuesday, April 29, during an interview on Arise TV, monitored by Legit.ng.
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Source: Legit.ng
