‘Atiku a loser again,’ presidency taunts former vice president over Okowa, Oborevwori defection to APC

The presidency has taunted proponents of opposition coalition following defections of Delta Governor Sheriff Oborevwori along the 2023 vice presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ifeanyi Okowa to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

On April 23, the governor and along with Okowa, who was running mate to Atiku Abubakar, the PDP presidential candidate in the 2023 election, defected to the APC with all Delta PDP officials and state structures.

In two posts, presidential spokespersons, Bayo Onanuga and Tunde Rahman, said the proposed coalition ain’t at wrestling power from President Bola Tinubu was dead on arrival.

Onanuga said: “Atiku’s political future looks bleak. The coalition that he, El Rufai, Babachir, and new member Baba-Ahmed are cobbling together has disintegrated. Potential allies, including former running mate Ifeanyi Okowa and defunct CPC members, are giving this leprous group a wide berth. Atiku is a loser again.”

Rahman, in his post, said: “Things are really getting perilous and the future looks so bleak for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s coalition.

“After the PDP Governors washed their hands clean of any such coalition plan, the defunct CPC wing he is also counting on have proffered support for President Tinubu. Today (yesterday), he got his biggest shocker ever. His 2023 election running mate, former Delta State governor Ifeanyi Okowa, and Okowa’s successor, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, dumped the sinking PDP ship and hopped aboard the APC plane, and by inference, crossed over to the PBAT side.

“Indeed, the counting of PDP Governors crossing over to APC has begun. Isn’t Atiku coalition dead on arrival? As my people will say, the glimpses of a Saturday that will be good will manifest from Friday.”