ADC Chieftain, Kenneth Okonkwo has stated that opposition parties must unite ahead of the 2027 general elections if they hope to defeat President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, insisting that former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi cannot defeat the president alone.
Okonkwo made the remarks during an interview on Channels Television aired on Thursday, May 14, 2026, while discussing opposition politics, coalition building and the political outlook for the 2027 elections.
During the interview, the presenter questioned Okonkwo on why he believed other opposition figures such as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar or other coalition members could succeed politically where Obi allegedly could not.
“The way you describe Bola Tinubu and all of that, and stating that, what makes you then think that Atiku or any other person can do the same if Peter Obi cannot do it? You think Peter Obi is unfit to match Bola Tinubu, right?” the interviewer asked.
Responding, Okonkwo said his position on opposition unity had remained consistent for years. “Absolutely. Remember what I said in your studio one time? I said if the opposition cannot come together to act as one, they should as well go and endorse Tinubu,” he stated. “I said it here,” he added.
According to the ADC chieftain, the opposition coalition already in place remains strong despite the exit of some political figures. “What is going on is that a coalition has already been formed. So whoever goes out of the coalition alone does nothing to the coalition,” Okonkwo said.
The interviewer, however, suggested that Obi’s departure may have weakened the alliance politically. “And you don’t think that the coalition has now been lightened? The weight has been, it is more or less feathered weight, with Peter Obi exiting,” the presenter asked.
In response, Okonkwo argued that discussions centred on Obi’s 2023 performance fail to address the political realities of 2027. “What you’re talking about is rehashing 2023. I’m talking about 2027,” he said.
The former Labour Party spokesperson also predicted that the South-South and South-East regions would eventually align with the coalition movement alongside northern political interests. “Let me tell you the consequences of what you’re saying and why the South-South and Southeast is going to vote differently,” Okonkwo stated.
He claimed that the regions have experienced political marginalisation since the defeat of former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015 because they failed to align with successive ruling administrations. “From 2015, when Goodluck Jonathan lost the election because of the South-South, Southeast, they have been marginalized by the successive presidents because they did not align with them,” he said.
Okonkwo expressed confidence that political cooperation between the southern regions and northern coalition forces would shape the outcome of the next election.
“In 2027, the South-South and the Southeast will align with the coalition party, with the North. And when they align, they will win Tinubu,” he stated. “And if they win Tinubu, all their marginalization will come to an end,” he added….Read More
