Former Labour Party chieftain and spokesperson of the Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Council, Kenneth Okonkwo, has reinforced calls for a coalition ahead of the 2027 presidential election, warning that no single opposition candidate is strong enough to defeat President Bola Tinubu without a united front.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics program duly monitored by Truth Live News, Okonkwo said neither Peter Obi nor Atiku Abubakar could defeat President Tinubu individually. He warned that the 2027 presidential race would be an easy victory for Tinubu unless the opposition parties formed a strategic alliance to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Recalling how former President Goodluck Jonathan was defeated through a broad coalition in 2015, Okonkwo emphasized that the coming together of opposition elites and political forces is crucial not only for winning but for securing victory.
“No single candidate can beat Tinubu alone by whatever name you are called. And the reason is this: in Nigeria, we have entered into the unfortunacy (sic) that you will not only win, but you have to secure your victory,” Okonkwo said.
He continued, “You need the elites to secure your victory, even if the people vote for you. If the elites come together, like they did in 2014 to confront Jonathan in 2015, they were able to secure their victory. If they were not together, they wouldn’t have been able to secure their victory.”
Kenneth Okonkwo’s position is consistent with his political stance since joining the Labour Party in 2022. During the 2023 general election campaign, he was one of the earliest advocates for broader collaboration among opposition forces to defeat the APC, frequently emphasizing that dismantling entrenched political structures required more than just popular support—it demanded strategic alliances and elite consensus.
In several interviews throughout the 2023 campaign season, Okonkwo urged for mergers among smaller parties and openly supported strategic alignments beyond the Labour Party to enhance the chances of dislodging the APC.
After the 2023 election, where Tinubu emerged victorious, Okonkwo was vocal about the need for introspection among opposition parties, insisting that their fragmentation had weakened their collective strength. He called for a post-election coalition to present a united front ahead of future elections, arguing that the lessons of 2015 must not be forgotten.
While conversations about coalition-building are typically centered around Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar, Okonkwo was non-committal about who might lead such a movement.
“As we are moving to 2027, I know that there will be a coalition, whether it be between Peter Obi or Atiku, I don’t know, but there will be a coalition. Why? Because that will be the only choice the opposition have to make it at the moment. If there is no coalition, Tinubu is unbeatable,” he asserted.
Okonkwo’s consistent advocacy for coalition politics underscores a critical conversation within Nigeria’s opposition parties: that unity, not individual popularity, may be the decisive factor in 2027.