Former Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has explained why he abandoned his former political alliance with ex-Vice-President Atiku Abubakar to support President Bola Tinubu, saying he has now “seen the light” in the current administration.
Okowa, who was Atiku’s running mate in the 2023 presidential election, made the remarks on Saturday during the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign rally in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The former governor, who is now the APC senatorial candidate for Delta North, said his decision to join the ruling party was informed by his assessment of Tinubu’s economic policies and efforts to address Nigeria’s longstanding economic challenges.
Okowa maintained that the President was taking difficult but necessary decisions to rebuild the country’s economic foundation.
“You all know that in 2023 I was on another ticket, but I have seen the light, and I have seen what Mr president is doing for Nigeria,” he said.
“It is the right thing to be done, and I have long ago crossed to the APC to join hands with Mr president because he is truly building a new Nigeria.
“When the foundation is broken, you cannot do anything. Mr president realises that successive administrations have broken the foundations of Nigeria. And today, we are on the right course because that foundation is being put right.”
Okowa Defends Tinubu’s Economic Reforms
The former governor also praised Tinubu’s fiscal reforms, particularly the increased revenue allocations to state and local governments.
He argued that the additional resources had strengthened the capacity of subnational governments to execute projects and meet their financial obligations.
“Today, our states and local governments are doing so well because Mr president has continued to mobilise resources for various states and our local governments,” Okowa said.
“We no longer talk about people owing salaries; we no longer talk about people owing pensioners. Our local governments are doing projects, our states are doing projects, and we can pay salaries.
“Only a man who understands a nation’s economy can do this. The wonders that were done in Lagos are already being done in our country, Nigeria.”
From Atiku’s Running Mate to Tinubu Supporter
Okowa’s latest endorsement marks a significant political shift from his position in the 2023 presidential election, when he contested alongside Atiku under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Atiku’s choice of Okowa as his running mate in 2022 came amid disagreements within the PDP, with some party members favouring then Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike for the position.
The Atiku-Okowa ticket eventually lost the presidential election to Tinubu, who contested under the APC.
In April 2025, Okowa expressed regret over accepting the vice-presidential nomination, arguing that the South had expected to produce a successor to former President Muhammadu Buhari.
He also said the PDP leadership’s decision to overlook that expectation contributed to the party’s poor performance in Delta State during the 2023 presidential election.
His latest remarks reinforce his support for Tinubu’s administration and the ruling APC ahead of the 2027 general election.
