Former Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, has said that ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar is on his way out of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the political scene begins to heat up ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Okowa, who served as Atiku’s running mate during the 2023 presidential election, made the comments during an interview on Arise News on Tuesday, shortly after announcing his defection to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday.
His statement comes amid growing speculation surrounding Atiku’s next political move. Okowa revealed that conversations between them suggest Atiku is preparing to leave the PDP, noting, “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.”
Back in March 2023, Atiku, along with Labour Party’s Peter Obi and former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, had announced plans to form a coalition aimed at unseating President Bola Tinubu in 2027. That declaration stirred widespread debate, with some political figures seeing it as the beginning of a new opposition force.
Reflecting on his role in the 2023 elections, Okowa admitted he now regrets not backing a southern presidential candidate.
“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.”
Okowa pointed to the victory of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori in Delta State as a sign that the people still support his leadership decisions. “That showed the people still believed in us, believed in me. They said you’ve done well, and we will support the governor you have chosen. And they did.”
Regarding Atiku’s departure from the PDP, Okowa noted that he informed the former Vice President about a leadership meeting that would determine their next steps, saying dissatisfaction with the PDP’s current direction played a major role in his decision to move on.
