Okowa: God will help PDP win presidency — even if G5 governors work with APC

Ifeanyi Okowa, governor of Delta, has expressed optimism about the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) winning the 2023 presidential election.

Okowa spoke on Friday at the PDP campaign rally in the state.

In October, Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers, had said the PDP can’t win the 2023 presidential election without his support and that of his allies.

Wike and his associates — including four other governors of the PDP — have been demanding the resignation of Iyorchia Ayu, national chairman of the party, as a precondition to support Atiku Abubakar.

The calls for Ayu’s resignation had been followed by the creation of the G5, later dubbed the ‘Integrity Group’, which includes Wike and his allies.

Over the past days, there have been reports that the five PDP governors — Wike, Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), and Samuel Ortom (Benue) — were meeting in London to discuss plans to endorse Bola Tinubu, presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Speaking at the rally, Okowa said the PDP will win the presidential election with or without the support of the ‘G5’.

“God has said that we, the PDP, will win this election. Many things may be happening now and people may be asking what about the G5 governors,” he said.

“These governors are our brothers; everybody is important. But what God has said will happen, nobody can change it.

“So, even if some of them decide to support APC, some will remain with us because there will be division among them.

“The real truth is that I have strong political eyes and I have observed that no matter what they do, PDP will win the forthcoming election, by the grace of God.

“It is only the power of God that can help us to win. So, whether the G5 said that they would work with APC or any other party, we will win.”

Okowa also said Abubakar is the only qualified candidate among the front runners in the presidential race.

“We all know that the candidate of APC is not good enough to be our president. Also, we know that Labour Party is not going anywhere and we need to sweet-talk the party supporters not to waste their votes,’ he said.

“Those supporters wishing to vote for Labour Party are only indirectly helping APC and trying to reduce the vote of PDP.

“So, please go and plead with Labour Party supporters to return to PDP and join hands with us to change Nigeria for the better.

“We — the PDP — are ready to change the so-called previous change. Therefore, everyone should go and get his or her PVC.”