Former Senate President Bukola Saraki has described the defection of former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as unprecedented.
In a statement he personally signed, Saraki asserted that Okowa’s move could not be attributed to external pressure.
Reports have circulated suggesting that Okowa, who was the running mate to Atiku Abubakar, the PDP’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election, left the PDP due to an ongoing case with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
In November, the EFCC reportedly arrested and detained Okowa regarding the alleged diversion of N1.3 trillion in derivation funds from the federation account during his tenure as Delta State governor between 2015 and 2023.
While some commentators, particularly on social media, have connected Okowa’s defection to this case, Saraki expressed surprise at the action in his statement.
“It is unbecoming and shocking for the running mate to the standard bearer of a leading party to abandon ship to join the ruling party. This is unprecedented and nobody should try to justify such an act with the talk of being put under pressure. It is simply a sign of how low we have sunk as a polity. The country is experiencing a collapse of leadership values.”
“These developments in the polity are the reason why I have always canvassed the idea that we should emphasize building and strengthening our institutions and not individuals. With the defection of the governor of Delta State, even if the party has only ten governors in its fold, the PDP is still in a good position to win the next round of elections,” he said.
Saraki encouraged those within the PDP who wish to leave to do so, while assuring PDP supporters that the party would recover and regain strength.
He also challenged the opposition to unite in order to take power from the ruling party, and pointed out that there is nothing preventing APC governors from leaving their current party.
“Following the development in the Delta State Chapter of our party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), I have been inundated with phone calls from leaders and members of our party as well as various youths who have been active in promoting democracy and good governance in our country. Many of the callers want to know what my reaction is to the defection of top PDP leaders in Delta State and its impact on our party.”
“My view is that those who want to leave the PDP should leave now and let the rest of us who want to stay concentrate on rebuilding the party and refocusing it to play the role of a viable opposition that will provide a better alternative for the good people of Nigeria.
“I am convinced that it is important for all Nigerians to work for the sustenance of democracy. And to sustain democracy, there must be viable choices for people at every point. Also, there must be a viable opposition to keep people’s hope alive and create credible alternatives to keep the government on its toes. A one-party state as being disingenuously designed by some people will not augur well for a multi-ethnic, multi-lingual, multi-cultural, multi-religious, and highly diversified society like ours. It is even more dangerous when we eliminate alternatives and make people hopeless.
“Therefore, it is in the interest of Nigeria and the survival of our democracy for the opposition to be vibrant and strong enough with the capacity to replace the ruling party at any point. Thus, my charge to our party members is that the PDP is merely experiencing a rebirth. Those who want to leave the party should go and let those of us remaining have a clear view of who we are talking to and where their political loyalty lies. All we need is for those who want to stay back in PDP to show commitment and we can all work to rebuild the party.
“This development has vindicated the stance of people like me who have decided to remain silent and watch events unfold. I have seen that there was no sincerity with supposed leaders of the opposition. One was not sure of the next person one was talking to.
“My appeal to PDP members nationwide is that we should know that the sustenance of democracy is not a sprint. Rather, it is a marathon. It is not a knock-out football match series. It is a league. 24 hours is a long time in politics and nobody can predict how the dynamics will evolve in the coming weeks and months. That is why PDP members across the country should not be discouraged, disillusioned, disappointed, or demoralised by the development in Delta State. We should stay strong and focus on strengthening the party. It is not necessary at this point to lament why they left.
“Our party members should also refrain from blaming our woes on the ruling party. That would be a lazy approach. They are playing politics to win elections. It is our responsibility as party members to ignore their antics and seize the moment and momentum to make our party stronger and better.”
Join Informant Online WhatsApp Channel With Link Below: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaihFajBadmT29ufud2
