During an interview on Arise TV’s Morning Show, Chief Edwin Clark, an elder statesman and Ijaw leader, strongly criticized the former governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa, calling him a traitor and a cunning individual. Clark alleged that Okowa, after using funds from Delta State for Atiku Abubakar’s campaign, emerged as Atiku’s running mate for the 2023 presidential election under the banner of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Clarke revealed that the 17 southern governors had collectively decided to oppose any political party that fielded a northern presidential candidate in their primaries ahead of the 2023 election. However, Okowa allegedly disregarded this agreement and joined forces with Atiku.
“The reason why the entire southern Nigeria sees Okowa as a traitor is because he betrayed us. Okowa volunteered to host a meeting of the 17 southern governors. He provided accommodation and his secretariat for the gathering,” Clark stated during the interview. “They drafted the communique under his supervision and gave it to Akeredolu to read. They confirmed it in Lagos and Enugu, not realizing that Okowa was using our money for Atiku’s campaign. I asked him in my letter to address this.”
Clark further highlighted that during the PDP primary, the delegates voted for Atiku rather than candidates like Wike or Emmanuel Udom of Akwa Ibom, implying that Okowa had deceived his colleagues by advocating for a southern presidential candidate while secretly aligning with Atiku. Clark emphasized that all the governors were aware of these actions, describing Okowa as an ambitious and deceitful individual who presents himself as a good person but is, in reality, quite crafty.
