Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt
Former Delta State governor and 2023 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) vice-presidential candidate, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, yesterday said he abandoned his former political camp because he has “seen the light” in President Bola Tinubu’s governance
Speaking at a massive All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign gathering in Port Harcourt, Rivers State yesterday, Okowa directly addressed his political transition.
He said his move to join forces with the ruling party stemmed from his conviction that the current administration is making the tough, structural decisions needed to repair decades of economic decay.
Addressing the crowd, Okowa confronted his past political alignment, emphasising that national interest must supersede partisan loyalty.
“You all know that in 2023 I was on another ticket, but I have seen the light, and I have seen what Mr. President is doing for Nigeria,” Okowa stated to cheers from party supporters.
“It is the right thing to be done, and I have long ago crossed to the APC to join hands with Mr President because he is truly building a new Nigeria.”
Pegging his endorsement on the administration’s structural economic reset, Okowa contended that previous political leadership had undermined the nation’s foundation through populist but fiscally irresponsible policies like the petroleum subsidy regime.
“When the foundation is broken, you cannot do anything,” Okowa emphasised. “Mr President realises that successive administrations have broken the foundations of Nigeria. And today, we are on the right course because that foundation is being put right.”
The former governor argued that the tangible benefits of federal fiscal reforms—particularly the enhanced revenue allocations to sub-national entities—validate his decision to defect and align with the APC.
“Today, our states, today, our local governments are doing so well because Mr. President has continued to mobilise resources for various states and our local governments,” Okowa said. “We no longer talk about people owing salaries; we no longer talk about people owing pensioners. Our local governments are doing projects, our states are doing projects, and we can pay salaries. Only a man who understands a nation’s economy can do this. The wonders that were done in Lagos are already being done in our country, Nigeria.”
Turning to human capital development, the former vice presidential candidate highlighted key social investments—including the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND)—as a defining reason why youth across the Niger Delta region should reject opposition calls to reverse current reforms.
“Mr President is a man who understands that our children need a future,” he added. “An educated populace can build a sustainable future for the Nigerian nation. Mr. President is doing just that by ensuring our students can complete their university education without financial strain through NELFUND. This is what we need in this country.”
Taking a direct swipe at opposition figures campaigning on promises to reinstate fuel subsidies, Okowa labelled such promises a regression into economic decay.
“People may tell you otherwise, but Mr. President is working truly for the long run because the other presidents that have led us in the past have continued to destroy the foundation of Nigeria through the so-called subsidy regime,” Okowa warned. “We do not want those old persons who have led us wrong in the past to destroy the future of our youths and tell you that they want to bring back subsidy. That is taking us to the past.”
Closing his speech, Okowa appealed to voters across the South-South region to rally behind President Tinubu’s re-election bid to solidify the nation’s developmental gains.
“We must be patient. It is working, and I believe that a new Nigeria is being born—a new Nigeria which will ensure security for the future of our young ones,” Okowa declared, calling on voters to secure victory on election day. “May God bless all of you as you all come back to work for Mr. President.”