Atiku on the Verge of Exiting PDP, Says Okowa, Backs Tinubu for Second Term

Former Delta State Governor and 2023 PDP vice-presidential candidate, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, has alleged that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar is on the verge of leaving the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Okowa also declared his support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s bid for a second term in office, citing national unity and political continuity.

Speaking in an interview on Monday, Okowa revealed that extensive consultations and growing frustration with the PDP’s internal disarray influenced his recent defection to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

He was joined by Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and several other high-ranking PDP stakeholders.

“We cannot continue in a party that lacks direction, cohesion, and the urgency to build a strong opposition. After long discussions, including with Atiku Abubakar himself, it is clear he too is making his exit,” Okowa stated.

Though Atiku has yet to make an official announcement, he recently acknowledged the wave of defections, saying he bears no grudges and affirming the right of every Nigerian to associate freely.

This fuels further speculation about his potential departure from the PDP, especially after the party’s poor performance in the 2023 elections.

Okowa also expressed regret over his decision to run alongside Atiku in the last presidential election, admitting that he went against the sentiments of his people who opposed another northern presidency after Buhari’s eight-year tenure.

“I should have listened to my people. Their position was clear: the South deserved its turn,” he said.

Now backing President Tinubu, Okowa argues that allowing the current administration a second term would reinforce the South’s stake in national leadership.

He emphasized the need for Delta State and the South-South to align with the center in order to attract federal attention and developmental projects.

The mass defection marks a seismic shift in Delta politics, a state that has been a traditional stronghold of the PDP since 1999. Analysts believe this move could significantly alter the political balance in the South-South and ahead of the 2027 general elections.

As the 2027 political season gathers momentum, Okowa’s switch to the APC and his endorsement of President Tinubu may signal deeper fractures within the opposition—and the beginning of new alliances ahead of another high-stakes contest.