Moro criticised Okowa’s inability to secure Delta State for the PDP during the presidential election, suggesting that the party might have fared better with a different candidate from the South.
Senate Minority Leader, Abba Moro, has claimed that the nomination of former Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa as the running mate to Atiku Abubakar contributed to the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) loss in the 2023 presidential election.
Moro made the assertion during an appearance on Channels TV, in response to Okowa’s recent statement expressing regret over accepting the vice-presidential slot on the PDP ticket.
Okowa, who formally defected alongside Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and the PDP structure in the state to the All Progressives Congress (APC), had said during an interview on Arise TV that he regretted being Atiku’s running mate.
But Senator Moro described Okowa’s remarks as “uncharitable” and self-serving, arguing that Okowa had actively lobbied for the vice-presidential nomination and should take responsibility for its fallout.
“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,” Moro said. “He was not forced. He asked for it, and he was given.”
Moro criticised Okowa’s inability to secure Delta State for the PDP during the presidential election, suggesting that the party might have fared better with a different candidate from the South.
“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,” Moro added.
“I think there was an error of judgment on the part of everybody that was involved in the choice of Okowa as the candidate.”He pointed out that opposition parties made major inroads in Delta State, with the PDP losing significant ground even with Okowa on the ticket.
“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?” Moro queried.
“Two out of the three senators from that state are from the opposition party.”
The Senate Minority Leader suggested that Okowa had benefited from the PDP throughout his political career and should not now disavow the party.
“He rose from senator to governor under the PDP, and it’s on that same platform he became a vice-presidential candidate. You don’t eat from a plate and turn around to break it,” he said.
Moro, however, dismissed suggestions that the recent defections signal the collapse of the PDP.
He expressed optimism about the party’s chances in the 2027 general elections, noting that political tides can shift dramatically.
“One day in politics is like decades,” Moro observed. “Things are happening so rapidly that they defy imagination and comprehension. That same rapid shift can work in favour of the PDP.”He said the PDP leadership remains committed to revitalising the party ahead of the next electoral cycle.
“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.
Moro emphasised that, despite recent setbacks, the PDP retains strong roots and loyal followers nationwide.
“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,” he said. “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.”Nigerian fashion
The 2023 election saw Bola Tinubu of the APC declared president, with Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi of the Labour Party trailing behind.
The aftermath has left the PDP navigating internal fractures, leadership challenges, and a wave of defections in key states like Delta.