Nyesom Wike, the minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has commended the immediate past governor of Delta state, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, for expressing his support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Wike also hailed the current Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, for his heart-warming decision to show support for Tinubu Wike gave the commendation in a statement signed by his senior special assistant on public communication and social media, Lere Olayinka, in Abuja on Wednesday. “It is another endorsement of the president’s good governance and commitment to the development of the country.” Wike called on other Nigerians who are still sitting on the fence to throw in their support for the President.
Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, a former Governor of Delta State and a stalwart of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), served as the running mate to Atiku Abubakar in the 2023 presidential election. His support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the flagbearer of the rival All Progressives Congress (APC), is particularly notable given his prominent role in the opposition’s campaign and his long-standing political alliance with Atiku. Okowa’s statement of support may signal a shift in Nigeria’s fluid political alignments, particularly among influential figures in the South-South region.
Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, who succeeded Okowa in 2023, has gradually emerged as a force in Delta State politics under Okowa’s shadows. A former Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Oborevwori rose through the ranks of the PDP and was widely seen as Okowa’s political protégé. His public endorsement of President Tinubu reflects a pragmatic approach to governance, he has moved into the ruling party thus making a choice to ditch the disorganised opposition as 2027 elections approaches.
The praise from Nyesom Wike—himself a former PDP governor who now serves as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory in Tinubu’s cabinet—adds an additional layer of political intrigue. Wike, the preeminent politician from the Niger Delta contested with Atiku for the presidential ticket of the PDP in 2023 but ended up working for President Tinubu’s victory. The defection of Okowa and Oborevwori to the APC makes him a more formidable figure in Tinubu’s cabinet and national politics.
