Kenneth Okonkwo, a former spokesperson for the Labour Party (LP) presidential campaign, declared that no single opposition candidate can defeat President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 Nigerian presidential election without a unified coalition, as stated during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, reported by Daily Post, TheCable, Naija News, and Vanguard. Okonkwo, who resigned from LP in February 2025 citing leadership crises, emphasized that a coalition is the opposition’s only viable strategy to unseat Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC), warning that failure to unite would ensure Tinubu’s re-election “outrightly, he will just walk into it,” per TheCable.
Okonkwo expressed confidence in the formation of a coalition, stating, “Moving to 2027, I know that there will be a coalition. Whether it is going to be between Peter Obi and Atiku, I don’t know, but there will be a coalition. Why? Because that will be the only choice the opposition has to make any impact.” He argued that Nigeria’s electoral system requires not just winning votes but securing the victory against potential manipulation, saying, “In Nigeria, we have entered into the unfortunacy that you will not only win but you have to secure your victory,” per Daily Post. He pointed to the APC’s successful 2013 coalition, which ousted President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015, as a model, noting, “If the elites can come together like they did in 2014… they will unseat Tinubu in 2027,” per Channels Television.
Addressing the wave of defections to the APC, including Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s switch from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on April 23, 2025, alongside former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, Okonkwo criticized defectors as motivated by personal gain and a belief that the APC will rig the 2027 election. He called the APC a “sinking house,” stating, “It is an absurdity that people will see a sinking house and be running into it for shelter… The whole idea of joining the ruling party is simply because of the belief that in 2027 they are going to write the results of the election,” per TheCable. Delta’s defection, ending PDP’s 26-year control, was hailed by APC leaders like Festus Keyamo but dismissed by Okonkwo as irrelevant to governance, per The Africa Report.
Okonkwo’s call for a coalition aligns with ongoing opposition talks, fueled by former Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s defection to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and meetings with PDP’s Atiku Abubakar, per Leadership and Naija News. He previously advocated supporting a candidate committed to a single four-year term to balance Nigeria’s regional power dynamics, stating on March 17, 2025, “Everybody should come together… I still believe in equity and justice,” per New Telegraph. However, the opposition faces challenges, with the LP in disarray after Okonkwo’s exit and Peter Obi’s struggles against National Chairman Julius Abure, while PDP governors resist coalition efforts, per The Africa Report. X posts, like @vanguardngrnews and @thecableng, echoed Okonkwo’s stance, with @HAHayatu asserting, “Anyone that is against coalition is working for Tinubu,” reflecting sentiment for unity, per Vanguard.
Public concerns about Nigeria drifting toward a one-party state have grown, with defections raising questions about party system stability, per Daily Post. Okonkwo’s critique of APC governance, amid 33.88% inflation and economic hardship, underscores the urgency for a united opposition, though he remains unaffiliated, open to consolidating groups for 2027, per Naija News. The Arewa Consultative Forum’s doubts about Atiku’s coalition leadership and LP’s internal crises, as noted by Abayomi Arabambi calling Okonkwo’s exit “good riddance,” highlight obstacles to unity, per Naija247news and Opinion Nigeria. Without a clear leader or structure, the opposition’s path to challenging Tinubu remains fraught, but Okonkwo’s advocacy signals a critical push to reshape Nigeria’s political landscape.
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