Meet Okowa, Atiku’s running mate

Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of Nigeria’s main opposition party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Thursday finally settled for the Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa as his running mate ahead of the 2023 presidential election.

Atiku’s choice came amid reports in the last few days, that the Working Committee (NWC) had voted 13-3 to endorse the report of the stakeholders’ panel which had earlier nominated the River State Governor, Iyesom Wike, who placed second in the presidential primary to be his running mate.

BusinessDay brings you the profile of Governor Okowa.

Okowa’s early Life

The Delta State Governor Okowa, was born on July 8, 1959, into a Christian family in Owa-Alero, Ika North-East Local government area of Delta State.

Okowa is 62 years old.

He attended Iroro primary school, Owa Alero (1965-1969), and later enrolled at the prestigious Edo College, Benin City from where he obtained the West Africa School Certificate (1974) and Higher School Certificate (1976).

Later, he proceeded to the University of Ibadan, where he qualified as a medical doctor in June, 1981.

Career

Okowa was employed by the Bendel State Hospitals Management Board in 1983 and worked at the General Hospital, Uromi, and Government Hospital, Igbanke, at different times. He resigned from government service in 1986 to establish Victory Medical Clinics at Igbanke and Boji Boji, Owa.

He ventured into politics in 1991 and became the Secretary of Ika Local government council in the same year; he became its pioneer executive chairman (1991-1993).

With the truncation of the Third Republic in 1993, Dr Okowa resumed his medical practice but returned to politics in 1998 with the lifting of the ban on politics by the then Military Government.