Senate Minority Leader Blames Okowa's Vice-Presidential Nomination for PDP's 2023 Election Loss

Senate Minority Leader Abba Moro has attributed the Peoples Democratic Party's (PDP) defeat in the 2023 presidential election to the selection of former Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa as the vice-presidential candidate. Moro contends that Okowa actively lobbied for the position and failed to deliver his home state during the election.

In a recent interview on Channels Television, Moro criticized Okowa's retrospective regret over accepting the vice-presidential slot, labeling such sentiments as "uncharitable" and self-serving. He emphasized that Okowa was not coerced into the role but sought it out, stating, "He was not forced. He asked for it, and he was given."

Moro further argued that the PDP might have secured victory had a different southern candidate been chosen. He pointed to the party's poor performance in Delta State, Okowa's stronghold, as evidence of the miscalculation. "With the hindsight that we have now, some of us think that the party would have won the election if another candidate — other than Okowa — had been picked as the vice-presidential candidate from the South," Moro asserted.

Okowa, who has since defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) along with Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and the state's PDP structure, recently expressed regret over his role in the 2023 election. In an interview with Arise Television, he admitted that his acceptance of the vice-presidential nomination contradicted the zoning principles and the wishes of his constituents in Delta State.

The PDP's internal dynamics and candidate selection processes have come under scrutiny following the 2023 electoral loss. As the party prepares for future elections, these reflections may influence its strategic decisions moving forward.