June 17, (THEWILL) – Delta State governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, on Thursday, emerged as the vice-presidential candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, unveiled Okowa as his choice for the slot at the party’s headquarters in Abuja. He was chosen over other contenders, including Governors Nyesom Wike of Rivers State and Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State.
The PDP had on Tuesday, constituted a 12-member Screening Committee, to screen the three nominees for the Vice-Presidential slot.
Members of the committee as constituted by the party included Tom Ikimi, who served as Chairman, Akilu Indabawa, as Secretary and Sunday Omobo as Administrative Secretary.
Other members of the committee were Idris Wada, Osita Chidoka, Binta Bello, Mutiat Adedoja, Austin Opara, Aisha Madawaki, Ayotunde George-Ologun, Chidiebelu Mofus and Fidelis Tapgun, a former governor of Plateau State.
Speaking on Thursday in Abuja, after Okowa’s presentation as the party’s running mate to Atiku, Chairman of the Screening Committee, Ikimi, said the job of the committee was to screen the nominees to ensure that the party did not run into any problem.
Ikimi, a former Minister of Foreign Affairs, said “Okowa has served in many capacities in the public service of Delta State, as well as local governments council of the state.
“He also served as an honourable commissioner at one time in that state and in fact, he served as the senator representing one of the senatorial districts of the state.
“The business of this committee was to ensure that he has the right qualifications because we are not interested in going to court after the election as people will be challenging those who are qualified or those not qualified.
“The committee found out that he is fully qualified. He is healthy, cool headed and willing to embrace all others who got tested over this position with him so that we have peace and stability in the party.”
Born July 8, 1959, in Owa-Alero, Ika East Local Government Area of Delta State, Okowa attended Edo College, Benin City, between 1970 and 1976. He got the second-best result in the Higher School Certificate Examination in the then Bendel State in 1976.
He later proceeded to the University of Ibadan, where he obtained an MBBS in Medicine and Surgery, graduating in 1981, at the age of 22. After his youth service the following year, Mr Okowa worked briefly as a medical officer with the Bendel State Hospital Management Board. He was later to go into private practice when he established the Victory Medical Centre at Igbanke, a border town between Delta and Edo states.
Okowa delved into politics when he served as the Secretary of Ika Local Government Area in 1991 and by 1993, he became the Chairman of the Council.
Following the restoration of democracy in the country in 1999, Okowa joined the PDP, which formed the government in Delta State, headed by James Ibori.
He was first appointed the Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources from 1999 to 2001 and was redeployed to the Ministry of Water Resources, where he was until 2003 when he was reassigned to the Ministry of Health.
After serving in the three ministries as commissioner, Okowa resigned to run for governor, but failed in the primary election. He was subsequently named Secretary to the Delta State Government in 2007, under the administration of former Governor, Emmanuel Uduaghan, Mr Ibori’s cousin, who won the election.
In 2011, Okowa showed interest in the senatorial election. He won the primary, but his election was challenged by some leaders of the party, who preferred Marian Ali, wife of the former National Chairman of the PDP, Ahmadu Ali.
In a rerun, Okowa polled 1,446 votes against 108 votes secured by Mrs Ali. That year, he was elected into the Senate to represent the Delta North Senatorial District after securing 98,140 votes ahead of Ned Nwoko of the DPP, who incidentally recently won the PDP primary to represent the district. At the Senate, Mr Okowa headed the Committee on Health and also belonged to other committees.
In 2015 and 2019, Okowa contested and won the governorship seat of Delta state on the platform of the PDP.
With his election, Okowa became the first Anioma (Igbo-speaking) man to be the state governor. He also became the fourth democratically elected governor of the state after Felix Ibru (1991-1992), Ibori (1991-2007), Udughan (2007-2015). He was re-elected in 2015.
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