April 29, (THEWILL) – Former Delta State Governor and 2023 Vice Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, has accused ex-Senate President Bukola Saraki of hypocrisy, saying he lacks the moral authority to criticise his recent defection to the All Progressives Congress.
Okowa, alongside Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and several top political appointees, formally dumped the PDP for the APC — a move that has effectively weakened the PDP’s structure in the state.
Reacting to the defection, Saraki had described Okowa’s move as “shocking and unbecoming,” particularly considering his role as the PDP’s vice-presidential candidate in the last general election.
“It is shocking and unbecoming. It’s simply a sign of how low we have sunk as a polity,” Saraki said.
But speaking on Tuesday during an interview on Arise Television’s *The Morning Show*, Okowa fired back, saying Saraki himself had crossed party lines in the past and, therefore, had no moral ground to fault his decision.
“I did not expect someone like Senator Bukola Saraki to comment on my defection. He knows he also moved to the APC before returning to the PDP. So, having moved back and forth, I don’t think he has the moral right to speak on my decision,” Okowa said.
He attributed the defection to a collective decision by Delta political stakeholders, citing internal crises and the PDP’s apparent unpreparedness for the 2027 general elections.
“Several things have been going on in the party. While I do not want to join issues with anyone, as stakeholders, our leaders in Delta sat down to assess recent developments. Based on the unfolding events and the signals from the PDP leadership, it did not appear to us that the party was still a viable political vehicle,” he stated.
Okowa insisted the decision was not a personal one but a strategic move to align with the interests of the people and ensure political stability in the state.
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