Defection of Okowa, Oborevwori not unexpected – Lukman

A former National Vice Chairman (North West) of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Dr Salihu Lukman, has said that the defection of the Governor of Delta State Sheriff Oborevwori and the 2023 running mate to Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, was expected.

He, however, noted that the coalition of political parties would not lose sleep over their defection or that of other PDP governors.

Lukman, while reacting to the defection on Thursday in Abuja, stated that they were aware some PDP governors were already working with President Bola Tinubu.

He said: “You also know the situation in PDP. The party is clearly a shadow of its own self. Although we acknowledge there are people, there are leaders in PDP who are optimistic they can rescue the party.

“But if you remember, when the governors issued a statement against the coalition, what was our response? Our response was that many of them are working for Asiwaju.

“And shortly after that, you saw the statement from Akwa Ibom, and of course, the Delta governor. It’s not only him, if you check the comments, there are many more that are being expected and on two sides — on the side of people who genuinely worry for the country, are expressing fear about a one-party state. And on the side of the government and APC, they are jubilating.”

Lukman assured that the coalition would correct all the mistakes and shortcomings of the Muhammadu Buhari and Bola Tinubu administrations.

He said: “If we are talking of correcting the mistakes of Buhari, correcting the mistakes of Asiwaju, we don’t want to produce a government that will be seen as a sectional government.

“We want to produce a government that Nigerians will be proud of. And everybody will see that there are new leaders that are truly accountable to Nigerians. We don’t want to produce another set of emperors.”