Delta needed to connect to Abuja – Okowa explains defection to APC

Former Governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa, has shed light on the reasons behind his recent defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC), stating that the move was driven by the need to link Delta State to the centre of power in Abuja.

Okowa, alongside his successor Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and members of the state cabinet, dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the APC last week.

The development rattled the PDP leadership as the party lost control of one of Nigeria’s key oil-rich states, which it had governed since 1999.

Speaking on Monday at a ceremony organised by the APC to welcome the defectors, Okowa, who served as the PDP Vice Presidential candidate during the 2023 presidential election, said the decision was made in the interest of the people of Delta State.

“When the news broke on Wednesday that we had decided to change our path, people wondered why, but there’s always a moment in a people’s history when a new path must be taken for the common good,” Okowa explained.

According to him, the defection was not about personal ambition but about ensuring Delta State benefits from the goodwill, resources, and opportunities available at the federal level.

“There is a need for us to connect to Abuja, that goodwill in Abuja, the resources in Abuja of which Delta is a major contributor  and it was necessary for us to be a part of it,” he stated.

Okowa described the move as both patriotic and strategic, revealing that the state had suffered during his eight years in office because it was in opposition.

“I was governor for eight years. I did my best, but we lost a lot. I realised the current governor is working very hard, and as he does so, he needs to connect to the greater source of power, goodwill, and resources in Abuja,” he said.

He urged APC members in Delta to embrace the new members and work together to strengthen the ruling party’s hold in the state.

While calling for support for President Bola Tinubu’s government, Okowa stressed the importance of unity among Deltans in backing both the president and Governor Oborevwori for the progress of the state.