Former Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, has fired back at ex-Senate President Bukola Saraki for criticising his recent defection from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC). Speaking on Arise Television’s The Morning Show on Tuesday, Okowa said Saraki had no moral right to comment on the matter, citing Saraki’s own past defections between the two parties.

Okowa, who served as the PDP’s Vice Presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, officially joined the APC on Monday alongside Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and other top political figures in the state.

Saraki had described Okowa’s move as “unprecedented,” calling it a sign of how low Nigeria’s politics had sunk. In response, Okowa stated, “I did not expect that someone like Senator Bukola Saraki should be able to speak concerning me, because he knows that he had also moved to APC before and eventually returned.”

He explained that the mass defection was a collective decision by Delta political stakeholders who believe the PDP is no longer a viable platform ahead of the 2027 elections. He cited ongoing internal crises, poor communication from the PDP’s national leadership, and the party governors’ rejection of coalition-building efforts as reasons for their departure.

Okowa emphasized that the decision to switch allegiance was not personal, but a strategic move in response to the PDP’s leadership failures and inability to position itself for future political relevance.