Former Delta State Governor and 2023 PDP vice-presidential candidate, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, has fired back at former Senate President Bukola Saraki for criticising his recent defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC), saying Saraki lacks the moral standing to comment on the matter.
Okowa, along with his successor, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, formally dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) last week during a meeting held at the Government House in Asaba. Their defection was sealed on Monday at a rally attended by APC national chairman, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, Vice President Kashim Shettima, and other top APC leaders.
Reacting to Saraki’s disapproval during an interview on Arise TV, Okowa said it was ironic for Saraki, who had previously defected from PDP to APC and back again, to criticise him.
“I didn’t expect someone like Senator Bukola Saraki to speak on my defection. He has also moved to APC before and later returned. So, he doesn’t have the moral right to talk about my political decision,” Okowa said.
The former governor explained that the move to APC was not personal but a collective decision taken after wide consultations with political stakeholders in Delta State.
“Many issues have been going on within the PDP. After carefully reviewing recent developments and signals from the party leadership, we came to the conclusion that PDP was no longer a suitable platform for us to continue politically,” he added.
