Agboje Chuks
There is growing unease over the strained relationship between the immediate past Governor of Delta State, Senator Arthur Ifeanyi Okowa who also served as the Vice Presidential Candidate to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar in the 2023 general elections and the leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), particularly President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
This development has unsettled some of Okowa’s loyalists and followers who had hoped that his eventual alignment with the APC would help them secure contracts, political appointments, or other forms of patronage.
Their rising skepticism has prompted questions about why the former governor has yet to meet with President Tinubu or other top APC leaders since his reported defection.
Findings suggest that President Tinubu remains displeased with Okowa’s role in the events leading up to the 2023 elections, particularly his alleged involvement in strategies that were seen as attempts to undermine the APC.
One key issue was the controversial naira redesign policy implemented under the former Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele which was widely criticized as economic sabotage and a tool to frustrate Tinubu’s campaign.
It will be recalled that during the height of the naira scarcity crisis, Mr. Charles Aniagwu who was and currently the Delta State Commissioner for Information and Atiku’s spokesperson, openly admitted on hisFacebook page that the policy was aimed at preventing Tinubu from using financial resources to influence voters.
Sources within the APC further disclosed that Okowa, alongside his principal Atiku Abubakar, was believed to have forged alliances with northern elites in Aso Rock in a bid to retain power in the North. An arrangement that did not sit well with the eventual winner of the elections and the people of the South
Another factor complicating Okowa’s political standing is the recent migration of key Delta PDP leaders to the APC, led by Governor Sheriff Oborevwori.
The move, sources say, was largely strategic and designed to safeguard Oborevwori from a potential defeat in the 2027 governorship elections.
According to insiders, Okowa was initially resistant to this shift, but he eventually had no choice but to acquiesce. “If he had opposed the move, all his loyalists would have deserted him to follow the Governor. His political camp would have been empty,” one source revealed.
Beyond electoral politics, Okowa’s partnership with Atiku Abubakar as a running mate was also viewed by some in the South-South as a betrayal.
His involvement in policies linked to Emefiele’s CBN tenure was perceived as economic sabotage, leaving many in the region unwilling to forgive.
Despite his defection, Okowa has conspicuously not been received by President Tinubu, nor has he held visible meetings with Senate President Godswill Akpabio or the Chief of Staff, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila.
For many observers, this silence underscores lingering distrust at the highest levels of the APC and raises questions about Okowa’s actual standing within the ruling party.
Until these issues are resolved, speculation will continue over why the former vice-presidential candidate remains politically isolated in Abuja’s power circles.
