Kenneth Okonkwo says no single candidate can defeat Tinubu in 2027 without a coalition
Former spokesperson for the Labour Party (LP) presidential campaign council in the 2023 elections, Kenneth Okonkwo, has said opposition political parties in Nigeria must form a coalition to defeat President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
Speaking when he appeared on ‘Politics Today’, a programme aired on Channels Television, the actor-turned-politician said,
“Nelson Mandela said it always appears impossible until it happens. I may not guarantee an alliance between Peter Obi and Atiku, but as we are moving to 2027, I know that there would be a coalition. Whether it would be between Peter Obi and Atiku, I don’t know,” Okonkwo said.
“But there would be a coalition. Why? Because that would be the only choice the opposition has to make an impact.”
Questioned if Tinubu is unbeatable without a coalition against him, Okonkwo answered in the affirmative, saying “outrightly,” adding that “he would just walk into it”.
He insisted that “no one single candidate can be Tinubu alone… and the reason is this. In Nigeria, we have entered into the unfortunacy that you would not only win, you have to secure your victory. So, you need the elite to secure your victory even if the people vote for you.
“If the elites come together like they did in 2014 to confront Goodluck Jonathan in 2015, they will unseat Tinubu in 2027,” he added.
Reacting to the recent wave of defections from the opposition to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Okonkwo said those leaving their parties were pushed by the belief that election results would be written in 2027.
“The whole idea of joining another political party, and precisely the ruling party, is simply because of the belief that in 2027 they are going to write the results of the election, nothing else,” he said.
“I mean, it’s an absurdity that people will see a sinking house and still run into it for shelter because APC is a sinking house.
“The World Bank report made it clear that Nigerians are going to be poorer till 2027. Have you asked yourself why they stopped at 2027?
“Because they know that this country is a blessed country, until the day Nigeria has a very good leader, poverty will dry up.
“So, they have given up on Tinubu’s regime, that it is a government that will afflict Nigerians with hunger and hardship until it ends.”
