Executive Assistant to Delta State Governor on Public Enlightenment (Projects and Policies), Mr Olisa Ifeajika, has said that the former Governor of the State, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, never regretted being a running mate to Atiku Abubakar in the 2023 presidential election.

Ifeajika, at a press briefing in Asaba, said that at no time did Okowa say he regretted being the Vice Presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the election, as reported in some sections of the media.

He explained that the news filtering around town that the former Governor regretted his actions was a bad phenomenon that must be discarded.

“In that interview, there was no time when Senator Dr Ifeanyi Okowa said he regretted being Vice Presidential candidate to Atiku or regretted being on that ticket with him,” he said.

“What Okowa said was that in the course of the campaign, they even realised that the people wanted a president from the South; so it was a southern matter,” he said.

“At that point, nothing could be done as PDP was already on the ballot, working hard to win the election. But electorates had the power, and they voted the way they wanted.

“And so that was what the people wanted, and they got it, and lessons had been learnt. The lesson learnt is that you must do a needs assessment to know what the people want. And what the South wanted in 2023 was a president from the South.”

On why they all defected to APC, the Executive Assistant explained thus: “The vehicle called PDP that was conveying everybody is seen to be faulty, and it will take only fools to remain as it crashes when one is inside.

“As at the time we left, PDP was already a sinking boat, a shadow of itself, and many things have gone wrong. The umbrella is torn, and it no longer covers anybody anymore.”