Opposition coalition member and lawyer Kenneth Okonkwo has argued that President Bola Tinubu will easily secure re-election in 2027 if the African Democratic Congress (ADC)-led coalition fields a southern candidate, such as Peter Obi.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Okonkwo—who previously served as a spokesperson for Obi in the 2023 election before leaving the Labour Party in 2024—urged the coalition to instead unite behind a strong northern candidate.
“My strategy this time is to support a northerner in 2027,” Okonkwo explained. “It must be someone who can unite the entire north. If it’s Atiku Abubakar, why not? If it’s Aminu Tambuwal, why not? The key is that the candidate must be qualified and, ideally, have some presidential experience.”
Okonkwo warned that fielding another southern candidate would only divide the opposition and play directly into Tinubu’s hands.
“If you bring a fresh southerner to run against Tinubu, you’re effectively zoning the ticket to him—and he’ll win,” he said. “Even if a candidate from the Southeast wins, the system will work against them and steal the mandate, just as it happened in 2023.”
‘Tinubu Must Be Challenged Strategically’
Okonkwo argued that the only realistic way to defeat Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is to challenge them with a northern heavyweight, given the regional dynamics and political establishment support often needed to secure victory.
“The Southwest has never contested against an incumbent president because they know that without establishment backing, even a real victory can be taken away,” he added.
Okonkwo also criticised Tinubu’s administration, describing it as having “become incurably bad” amid rising inflation and economic hardship, and insisted the coalition’s mission is to “terminate his incumbency.”
Building the Coalition
His comments follow a recent high-level meeting of opposition leaders—including Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, former Senate President David Mark, ex-ministers Rauf Aregbesola and Rotimi Amaechi, and former Kaduna governor Nasir El-Rufai—who agreed to adopt the ADC as the coalition’s platform ahead of 2027.
The coalition is hoping to build on the momentum from 2023, when Atiku and Obi together secured over 12 million votes—well above Tinubu’s declared total by INEC.
“We must learn from 2023,” Okonkwo insisted. “If we don’t get the strategy right, Tinubu will win again.”
The debate has sparked fresh discussions on whether to prioritise regional balancing or go head-to-head against the incumbent president with a candidate who can consolidate votes across the north.
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