Prominent opposition figure and former spokesperson for Peter Obi, Kenneth Okonkwo, has declared that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Bola Tinubu will easily win re-election in 2027 if the opposition coalition presents another southern candidate such as Peter Obi as its flag bearer.
Speaking on Politics Today aired on Channels Television on Tuesday, Okonkwo insisted that the only viable strategy for unseating Tinubu is for the African Democratic Congress (ADC) recently adopted as the platform for an opposition alliance—to present a formidable northern candidate capable of rallying the entire northern electorate.
“My strategy this time around is that I am going to support a northerner in 2027,” Okonkwo declared. “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.”
Okonkwo, who transitioned from acting to law and politics, was a vocal supporter of Peter Obi during the 2023 general election under the Labour Party. However, he exited the party in July 2024, citing unresolved internal crises and Obi’s failure to address them.
Okonkwo warned that fielding another southern candidate against Tinubu, who hails from the same region, would be a strategic blunder.
“Anybody telling you to bring a fresh southerner to compete against Tinubu, a southerner, is trying to tell you to zone the ticket to Tinubu—and Tinubu will win outright,” he cautioned.
He further described Tinubu’s leadership as “incurably bad” and emphasized the urgency of ending his incumbency.
‘Why Obi Can’t Win’
Okonkwo also outlined why he believes Peter Obi or any South-Eastern candidate cannot win the 2027 election under current political realities.
“If you bring somebody from the Southeast, even if he wins, they will steal it from him,” he said. “Peter Obi won the election in 2023, and they stole it from us. If you do it again, they will steal it from him because there is no incumbent to back you.”
He added that the South-West, from which Tinubu hails, has never challenged an incumbent directly in an election something he regards as a deliberate strategic calculation.
“Do you know the South-West has never contested an election against an incumbent? Strategy? Because they know that in Nigeria, if you don’t have the establishment supporting you, even if you win, they will steal it from you,” he said.
A New Opposition Coalition Emerges
As Nigeria looks ahead to the 2027 elections, opposition parties have ramped up efforts to form a united front against Tinubu and the APC. On Wednesday, July 2, 2025, major opposition leaders including Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, David Mark, Rauf Aregbesola, Rotimi Amaechi, and Nasir El-Rufai convened in Abuja and agreed to adopt the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as the coalition’s official platform.
This alliance is banking on the combined electoral strength of Atiku and Obi, who in the 2023 election garnered over 12 million votes more than four million above Tinubu’s officially recorded tally, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Tinubu, who assumed office in May 2023, is seeking a second term in line with the country’s informal eight-year power rotation system between the North and South. His administration has come under fire for spiraling inflation and a worsening cost of living—issues the opposition hopes to capitalize on in their bid to unseat him.
The Stakes for 2027
Okonkwo’s remarks highlight the deepening rifts and strategic recalibrations within Nigeria’s opposition bloc, which now faces a pivotal decision: unite behind a northern candidate with political weight, or risk handing Tinubu a second term by repeating what Okonkwo describes as a flawed 2023 strategy.
The political chessboard is set, and the opposition’s next move could determine Nigeria’s leadership for the rest of the decade.
