By Okechukwu Jombo
Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar, has reacted to the allegations surrounding his running mate, Ifeanyi Okowa’s involvement in funding his campaign.
Okowa, the former Delta State governor, was on Monday arrested over alleged misuse of funds estimated at N1.3 trillion derived from Delta’s 13 per cent derivation allocation between 2015 and 2023.
Following the arrest, there were speculations that the funds were allegedly diverted to the PDP presidential campaign in 2023.Reacting on Saturday, Atiku’s special adviser on broadcast media, Abdul Rasheeth, stated that Okowa was not responsible for funding Atiku’s extensive campaign in any way.“Atiku has always independently funded his campaigns and does not rely on his running mates for financial support,” Rasheeth said.
His update on social media platform, X, reads:
“In 2007, Atiku Abubakar chose Ben Obi as his running mate, not for political position but for his merit. Again, in 2019, Atiku selected Peter Obi, despite him not being a sitting governor, driven by Obi’s qualifications rather than his title. In 2023, Atiku’s choice fell on Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa. Contrary to malicious claims, Okowa was not responsible for funding Atiku’s extensive campaign in any way.
“Atiku has always independently funded his campaigns and does not rely on his running mates for financial support. Any attempt to besmirch Atiku’s reputation through these falsehoods is a baseless insult, driven by those with ulterior motives against Okowa.”