Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s 2023 presidential bid smacked of insensitivity to zoning and power rotation, former Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa said yesterday.
Atiku ran on the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with Okowa as his running mate.
They were defeated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who was the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The former Delta governor said he regretted pairing with Atiku in the election.
In a stunning turnaround, Okowa, along with Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, all elected officials and party officials at all levels, defected to the APC last week.
Speaking on a television programme yesterday, Okowa explained that upon reflection, he had come to the realisation that his decision to be running mate conflicted with the prevailing sentiments in the state.
Justifying his decision to defect to the APC, he said the PDP’s protracted internal crises and weak leadership strategy heralded the gale of defections.
He recalled: “Even when we were campaigning, I realised our people were not interested in having another northerner come to power.
“But the decision had already been taken at the federal level by the party, and I had been nominated.
“Still, in retrospect, I now believe I should have gone with the will of my people.”
