‘Why Igbos Should Be Happy Atiku Chose Okowa’

The Delta State Government has said that Igbo-speaking Nigerians from the South East region should be happy about the announcement of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa as the running mate of Atiku Abubakar presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Naija News reports that  Patrick Ukah, Secretary to Delta State Government, stated this during an interview.

He stressed that the Southeast would have a lot to gain if Okowa eventually emerges as Vice President because he (Okowa) hails from the Igbo-speaking part of Delta.

According to him, Okowa “will be a very strong representation of the South East” in Atiku’s presidency in the event that they win the February 25 presidential election.

“I don’t want to believe that is going to be an issue. Before I came into government, I was the Secretary-General of Oganihu-Anioma, the professional arm of the Igbo-speaking Deltans.

“Senator Ifeanyi Okowa’s father was a front-liner in the Anioma movement and Anioma is the Igbo-speaking part of Delta State and that is where Okowa is from.

“So, if anybody makes a statement and now said that Okowa is not part of them, that would be very injurious body polity because I believe that we are all one. If Okowa is from one part that makes up Delta State and the Igbo-speaking part that is Anioma, which is an Igbo-speaking part of Nigeria, an average Igbo man should be happy to see Okowa Vice Presidency and I believe that that is not going to be an issue because over the years.

“Even when we operated with people like Ogbonnaya Onu and the others, we have always argued that this language of Bendel-Igbo and Anambra-Igbo would not be good for us because we are looking for the number and we represent that number across the Niger.