Senate Minority Leader, Abba Moro, has claimed that the selection of former governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa, as the running mate to the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party in the 2023 elections, Atiku Abubakar, was a wrong decision.
Mr Moro stated this during an interview on Channels TV, while reacting to a claim by Mr Okowa that he regretted accepting to be Mr Abubakar’s running mate.
Mr Moro, who represents Benue South in the National Assembly, described Mr Okowa’s remarks as “uncharitable”.
He alleged that Mr Okowa willingly sought the position and should not now distance himself from the consequences of that decision.
“Some people were of the opinion that there were others who had contributed more to the success of the party, who were more committed and would have helped the party win the election rather than pick him,” Mr Moro said.
He noted that Mr Okowa’s rise through the ranks of the PDP—from senator to governor—was made possible by the platform he now appears to be disavowing.
“It’s unfortunate today that at his level, having been a senator and governor before on the platform of the PDP, I think it’s uncharitable for him to be expressing regret about being the party’s running mate. He was not forced. He asked for it, and he was given.
“With the hindsight that we have now, some of us think that the party would have won the election if another candidate—other than Okowa—had been picked as the vice-presidential candidate from the South.
“I think there was an error of judgment on the part of everybody that was involved in the choice of Okowa as the candidate,” the senator added.
He said the inability of Mr Okowa to secure victory for the PDP in the presidential polls despite being the governor shows the unpopularity of the governor.
“How else will you characterise this scenario—that a sitting governor, a former senator, and vice-presidential candidate couldn’t deliver his state, even to the presidential candidate?
“And to think that two out of the three senators from that state are from the opposition party, and I can tell you that one person may have won that election purely on his own merit, because of his pedigree and his contributions to the community,” he said.
Mr Moro also expressed optimism that the PDP would bounce back.
“One day in politics is like decades,” he noted, adding that the PDP still commands deep loyalty across the country.
“Just about 72 hours ago, the chairmen of the PDP in the 36 states and the FCT met and reaffirmed their commitment to mobilising and galvanising support for the party, especially in light of what has happened in Delta State,” he said.
“There are individuals within the party whose body and soul remain committed to the PDP, and who are willing to make sacrifices and go to great lengths to rebuild the party.
“If the rebuilding effort meets the expectations for 2027, so be it. If it doesn’t, the PDP remains an integrated political brand that cuts across all segments of Nigerian society. It will not be easily broken,” he said.
