Former Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa is reportedly seeking a “soft landing” from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu following a bombshell revelation by Eddy Ogidi-Gbegbaje, a former Permanent Secretary of the Delta State Government House. Ogidi-Gbegbaje, currently in detention at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) facility in Port Harcourt, confessed to withdrawing N87 billion in cash from a single bank under Okowa’s directive during his tenure as governor.
While Ogidi-Gbegbaje has avoided directly stating that the funds ended up with Okowa, investigators have reportedly traced the massive withdrawals to accounts and activities linked to the former governor. This development is part of a broader investigation into alleged financial mismanagement under Okowa’s administration, with the former governor accused of defrauding the state of over N1.3 trillion during his eight-year tenure.
In a desperate bid to influence the unfolding situation, Okowa is said to be making efforts to lobby President Tinubu during the president’s upcoming visit to Accra, Ghana. Tinubu is scheduled to attend the inauguration of Ghana’s President-elect, John Mahama, on Monday. However, Okowa’s plans face a significant hurdle as his international passport has reportedly been seized by the EFCC as part of the ongoing investigation.
Sources suggest that Okowa hopes to negotiate with Tinubu for leniency, but it remains unclear whether the presidency will entertain such overtures. Meanwhile, the EFCC is said to be intensifying its probe, with Ogidi-Gbegbaje’s confession serving as a critical piece of evidence.
