LAGOS, Nigeria – Kenneth Okonkwo, the former spokesperson for the Labour Party (LP) presidential campaign council in the 2023 elections, has called for opposition parties to form a coalition in order to challenge President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 elections.
Okonkwo made the comments during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Sunday, April 27, 2025.
Referring to a quote from Nelson Mandela, Okonkwo suggested that while it may appear impossible at first, a coalition between the opposition parties is the only viable way to defeat the incumbent president.
“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,” Okonkwo said.
“Whether it would be between Peter Obi and Atiku, I don’t know, but there would be a coalition. Why? Because that would be the only choice the opposition has to make an impact.”
When asked if Tinubu would be unbeatable without a coalition against him, Okonkwo answered affirmatively, saying, “outrightly,” and further explained, “he would just walk into it.”
According to Okonkwo, no single candidate could take on Tinubu alone, citing the need for elite support to secure victory.
“In Nigeria, we have entered into the unfortunate situation where you not only need to win, you have to secure your victory,” Okonkwo said.
“So, you need the elite to secure your victory even if the people vote for you.”
He went on to liken the current situation to the political alliance in 2014, which saw elite politicians unite to unseat President Goodluck Jonathan in the 2015 elections.
He argued that a similar coalition could be formed in 2027 to unseat Tinubu.
“If the elites come together like they did in 2014 to confront Goodluck Jonathan in 2015, they will unseat Tinubu in 2027,” Okonkwo said.
Commenting on the recent defection of opposition members to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Okonkwo stated that the defections were motivated by the belief that the 2027 election results would be manipulated.
He expressed confidence that the APC, despite these defections, is a “sinking house” and will soon experience internal collapse.
“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,” Okonkwo 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.”
Okonkwo pointed to a recent World Bank report that indicated Nigerians would face increased poverty until 2027.
He suggested that this was due to the expectation that the current government would fail to deliver improvements for the country, leading to an eventual change in leadership.
“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,” Okonkwo said.
The former campaign spokesperson also weighed in on political developments in Delta State, noting that defections from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC were fueled by the expectation of electoral manipulation in 2027.
He referenced the recent statements made by politicians like Senator Ned Nwoko, who explained his defection to the APC by citing dissatisfaction with his current governor.
“Recall that Senator Ned Nwoko said the only reason he wanted to go to APC is because he has a lousy governor who does not know his left from his right and who has broken all the agreements that they had,” Okonkwo said.
“He said he would want to move to APC where the light is shining.”
