2023 Election: I Knew Atiku and I Would Lose Before Results — Okowa

Former Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has revealed that he knew the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would lose the 2023 presidential election even before Nigerians went to the polls.

Okowa, who was the PDP vice-presidential candidate alongside Atiku Abubakar, said his assessment of the political situation convinced him that the All Progressives Congress (APC) would emerge victorious.

The former governor made the disclosure at a recent event in Delta State, recalling that he had already shared his expectations with Christian leaders before the election.

“I knew we would not win the election. And even when I met with the Christian leaders, I told them that APC will win, while PDP will come second and then Labour Party will come third,” Okowa said.

His prediction matched the final order of the presidential election as announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

President Bola Tinubu of the APC was declared winner of the February 2023 election, while Atiku finished in second place and Peter Obi, who contested on the Labour Party platform, came third.

The outcome triggered legal challenges from opposition candidates and parties, but the election result was upheld by the courts.

Okowa’s latest comments offer an insight into how he viewed the PDP’s prospects before the election, despite the party’s position as one of Nigeria’s major political forces at the time.

The former vice-presidential candidate has remained active in political discussions since leaving office as Delta governor, with the 2027 election already shaping political alignments across the country.