Kenneth Okonkwo, a former chieftain of the Labour Party (LP), says President Bola Tinubu will coast to victory in 2027 if the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presents a southern presidential candidate.
Okonkwo, who was the Labour Party (LP) campaign spokesperson in the 2023 elections, spoke on Tuesday during an interview on “Politics Today,” a Channels Television programme.
He said the opposition coalition must field a northern heavyweight if it is serious about unseating Tinubu.
“My strategy this time around is that I am going to support a northerner in 2027,” he said.
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“It must be a northerner that the whole north is willing to support. If the whole north is willing to support an Atiku, why not?
“If the whole north is willing to support a Tambuwal, why not?
“The person must be qualified, and if he has experience in the presidency, it is an added advantage. When he pairs with someone from the south, that will push him through.”
Okonkwo said Tinubu has become “incurably bad” and must be stopped, insisting that only a northern candidate can unseat the president.
“Anybody telling you it’s injustice if the north comes in… if the south comes in… whoever wins a primary election will take it for four years. Where is the injustice? It has happened before,” he said.
“Anybody telling you to bring a fresh southerner to compete against Tinubu, a southerner, is trying to zone the ticket to Tinubu—and Tinubu will win outright.
“If you bring somebody from the south-east, even if he wins, they will steal it from him.
“Let me tell you the strategy that will make a south-easterner president.
“Do you know the south-west has never contested against an incumbent? Strategy. Because in Nigeria, if you don’t have the establishment behind you, even if you win, they will steal it from you.
“Peter Obi won the election in 2023, and they stole it from us. If you do it again, they will still steal it because there is no incumbent to defend the victory.
“But if you bring someone from the north, nobody will pressure him to relinquish his win—because he is not from the same region as the incumbent.”
Okonkwo parted ways with Obi and quit the LP in July 2024, citing unresolved internal disputes and what he called the former Anambra governor’s failure to take decisive action.
Last week, members of the coalition formally unveiled the ADC as their platform for the 2027 general election.
