Atiku breaks silence on Okowa’s arrest by EFCC

Atiku Abubakar, former vice president and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 elections, has addressed allegations concerning his running mate, Ifeanyi Okowa, and the funding of his presidential campaign.

The accusations surfaced following the arrest of Okowa, who served as Delta State governor, over the alleged misappropriation of N1.3 trillion from Delta’s 13 percent oil derivation funds between 2015 and 2023.

Speculations have circulated, suggesting that the diverted funds were used to bankroll Atiku’s 2023 presidential campaign. However, on Saturday, Atiku’s special adviser on broadcast media, Abdul Rasheeth, dismissed these claims. Rasheeth emphasized that Okowa did not finance Atiku’s campaign, asserting that there was no connection between the alleged fund misuse and the PDP’s campaign expenses.

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“Atiku has always independently funded his campaigns and does not rely on his running mates for financial support,” Rasheeth said.

His update on social media platform, X, reads:

“In 2007, Atiku Abubakar chose Ben Obi as his running mate, not for political position but for his merit. Again, in 2019, Atiku selected Peter Obi, despite him not being a sitting governor, driven by Obi’s qualifications rather than his title. In 2023, Atiku’s choice fell on Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa. Contrary to malicious claims, Okowa was not responsible for funding Atiku’s extensive campaign in any way.

“Atiku has always independently funded his campaigns and does not rely on his running mates for financial support. Any attempt to besmirch Atiku’s reputation through these falsehoods is a baseless insult, driven by those with ulterior motives against Okowa.”