Former Delta State Governor, Sen. Ifeanyi Okowa, has refuted allegations that he refunded over ₦500 billion to the state government as part of a covert arrangement to avoid prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Rumours made the rounds across Delta State that the former governor secretly refunded the massive sum in an effort to avoid legal consequences, preserve political influence, and negotiate a possible soft landing with anti-graft authorities.
However, speaking through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Olise Ifeajirika, Okowa described the claims as false and baseless.
“It’s not true that my boss, Okowa, returned such money. The EFCC is at liberty to do its job,” Ifeajirika said.
“He “He (Okowa) was invited and shown documents, and he responded accordingly. The EFCC has been visiting Delta State and inviting people for questioning. We believe the investigation is still ongoing. Only when it is concluded and a case is established can issues of refunds or prosecution arise.
“There is no truth to claims of returning money to the Delta State Government or the EFCC,” he added.
Okowa and the state Governor Sheriff Oborevwori defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to join the ruling All Progressives Congress.
The decision fanned allegations that Okowa was attempting to avoid prosecution by the EFCC.
Meanwhile, Oborevwori met President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The Delta governor, who visited the villa at about 3:45 p.m., unaccompanied, went into a closed-door encounter with the president.
It was his first meeting with Tinubu since leaving the PDP to join the ruling APC.
On April 23, 2025, Oborevwori became the first incumbent Delta State governor to leave the PDP since Nigeria’s restoration to democracy in 1999.
