ABUJA (CHATNEWSTV) — A chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party, Dele Momodu, said Wednesday that the defection of former Delta State governor Ifeanyi Okowa to the All Progressives Congress may be tied to his ongoing investigation by Nigeria’s anti-graft agency.
Mr. Okowa, who served as Atiku Abubakar’s running mate in the 2023 presidential election, left the PDP alongside his successor, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, and other state officials. The move has sparked intense speculation, particularly in light of a ₦1.3 trillion corruption probe by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
In November 2024, Okowa was arrested for allegedly misappropriating 13 percent derivation funds and failing to account for another ₦40 billion used to acquire shares in UTM Floating Liquefied Natural Gas. He was later granted bail.
Speaking during an appearance on Channels Television, Momodu suggested the defection was more about survival than ideology.
“Well, I am a very good student of Nigerian political history, so nothing surprised me about our politicians,” he said. “The history of Nigerian politics is plagued with stories of defection.”
“When you talk about our leader Okowa joining APC, I am not surprised. He has been under serious harassment in recent times,” Momodu continued. “Don’t forget that in 1993 one of the first people to dump Chief Moshood Abiola was Babagana Kingibe, who was his running mate.”
According to Momodu, political persecution has become a tool for coercion under the current administration.
“What will surprise me is if President Bola Ahmed Tinubu believes that people are joining APC because they love him or because he is doing fantastically well,” he said. “What people are doing now is a game of survival.”
He argued that politicians today are no longer willing to endure detention for the sake of principle.
“Gone are the days we used to boast that going to prison makes us a martyr,” he said. “Nobody wants to go to detention; everybody wants to be at home and enjoy the money they have made in politics.”
Momodu accused the ruling party of weaponizing federal agencies to intimidate the opposition.
“So if you see people today, name one of them who has not been harassed by the EFCC, ICPC, or Special Fraud Unit at different times,” he said. “But in politics, anything can change in 24 hours.”
