File photo: Gov Okowa and Atiku in Asaba
Ifeanyi Okowa, medical doctor and governor of Delta is officially Atiku Abubakar’s running mate in the 2023 presidential election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
But unbeknownst to Nigerians, Okowa was recommended by a Nigerian investigative journalist who made a pitch for him on account of performance, temperament, character and security report linking him to no criminal case.
Atiku would later confirm these credentials that stood Okowa out on Thursday while naming the Delta governor as his running mate.
He described Okowa as someone with both legislative and executive experience, someone with a heart for development. Shortly after his announcement following days of intrigues, Atiku tweeted: “I am delighted to announce Governor @IAOkowa as my Vice Presidential candidate. I look forward to travelling our great country together, engaging with all Nigerians and building a shared future of peace, unity, and prosperity for all. As One We Can Get It Done.”
Inside sources told Political Economist that once the names were narrowed to three persons by the committee, namely; Ifeanyi Okowa, Nyesom Wike and Udom Emmanuel, northern governors moved in to ensure that Okowa was finally picked as the rightful running mate. Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu was also considered but he did not last long on the consideration list.
It was learnt that some northern governors made a strong case for Okowa, presenting him to Atiku as their preferred candidate among the three. Their choice of Okowa was said to have gone down well with Atiku who had earlier confided in some top cats in the PDP that he would be pleased to work with Okowa.
The northern governors who also pledged full support for Atiku if he picks Okowa, gave their reasons for their choice. They cited Okowa’s temperament, character, non-combative nature, party loyalty, outstanding performance as governor and his antecedents in the legislature as some of the reasons why they would prefer him above other candidates.
“The final choice of Okowa was down to the last push of some northern governors and political heavyweights from the north including Bukola Saraki, all of whom spoke nicely about Okowa’s comportment, sacrifice and contributions to the party.
“The northern governors’ position was also endorsed by heavyweights from other zones who were consistent in their choice of Okowa,” a source close to Atiku told our reporter.
Our reporter gathered authoritatively that certain politicians including PDP members from Delta tried to scuttle Okowa’s chances but were rebuffed by the iron-cast confidence in Okowa by those pushing for him.
