‘Picking Okowa As VP Candidate In 2023 Was A Serious Mistake’ – PDP Senator

Senator Abba Moro, representing Benue South, has said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would have won the 2023 presidential election if a different running mate had been chosen for Atiku Abubakar instead of former Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday, Moro described the choice of Okowa as a “serious mistake,” blaming it for the party’s poor performance in Delta and nationally.

Moro criticised Okowa for failing to deliver Delta State to the PDP during the presidential election, despite serving as a sitting governor and vice presidential candidate.

“Given what we know now, with the hindsight that we have now, some of us think that the party would have won the election if other candidates, other than Okowa, had been picked as the vice presidential candidate from the South,” Moro said.

He continued, “How else would you characterise this scenario that a sitting governor, a former senator and a vice presidential candidate of a party couldn’t deliver his state even to the presidential candidate?

“And to think that two out of the senators from that state were from the opposition parties other than the PDP.

“So, I think that picking Okowa as the vice presidential candidate in 2023 was a very serious mistake.”

Moro argued that Okowa’s recent defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC) confirmed his lack of commitment to the PDP.

“His soul was not in the PDP. His soul was not in that election, and that is why we performed very miserably in Delta State,” he said.

Okowa, along with Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, officially joined the APC on Monday, citing the need for Delta to “connect to Abuja” and describing the move as being in the “best interest” of the people.

Moro slammed Okowa’s post-defection remarks, saying, “Instead of rendering an apology to the party and Nigeria, he’s now talking about regretting being on the ticket.”

When asked about the potential impact of Atiku Abubakar leaving the PDP, Moro admitted it would be significant.

“Atiku definitely has his own place in history and in the formation of the PDP. He has his own place as a very strong member, as a two-time presidential candidate of the party. Yes, if he leaves, it will create a vacuum,” Moro said.