Former Delta State Governor and Senator, Ifeanyi Okowa, has fired back at ex-Senate President Dr. Bukola Saraki, dismissing his criticism of Okowa’s defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC) as hypocritical and unfounded.
Speaking on The Morning Show on Arise Television on Tuesday, Okowa addressed Saraki’s condemnation of the recent wave of defections from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta State, which included the current Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, and several high-profile political figures.
Saraki had denounced Okowa’s defection as “unprecedented” and a sign of the PDP’s moral decline, particularly given Okowa’s role as the party’s vice-presidential candidate in the 2023 general election. “It is shocking and unbecoming… a sign of how low we have sunk as a polity,” Saraki said in a statement.
In a sharp rebuttal, Okowa accused Saraki of double standards, pointing out the former Senate President’s own history of party-switching.
“I was surprised Senator Saraki chose to comment on my defection. He has changed parties before leaving the PDP for the APC and then returning. That disqualifies him from lecturing anyone on political consistency,” Okowa stated.
He stressed that the move to the APC was not a spur-of-the-moment decision, but the outcome of months of internal deliberation among Delta political leaders frustrated by what they see as the PDP’s deepening internal crises and lack of direction.
“Our decision was collective. The PDP no longer represents the aspirations of our people in Delta State. The lack of leadership and repeated rejection of coalition efforts ahead of 2027 made it clear the party is not ready for the future,” he added.
Okowa concluded by reiterating that the realignment was strategic and necessary, not personal, driven by the need for a more stable and forward-looking political platform.
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