Actor-turned-lawyer and Politician, Kenneth Okonkwo has vowed to back a Northerner, warning that President Tinubu will likely win re-election in 2027 if the African Democratic Congress (ADC) fields another southern candidate like Peter Obi
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday, Okonkwo said the only realistic path to defeating Tinubu is to present a popular northern candidate backed by the northern voting bloc.
“My strategy this time around is that I am going to support a northerner in 2027,” he said. “It must be a northerner that the whole north is willing to support.”
He continued, “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. And when he puts up something from the south, that will push him through.”
Okonkwo, who was one of Peter Obi’s spokespersons during the 2023 election, accused the opposition of playing into Tinubu’s hands by fielding another southern candidate.
“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 also claimed that candidates from the Southeast are often politically vulnerable without backing from the establishment.
“If you bring somebody from the Southeast, even if he wins, they will steal it from him,” he said. “Let me tell you the strategy that will make the Southeast man to be president. Do you know the Southwest 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 added, “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. But if you bring somebody from the north, nobody will prevail on him to leave his victory because he is not from the same side as you.”
Okonkwo left the Labour Party in July 2024, citing internal wrangling and Obi’s inability to resolve the crisis. His remarks come just days after opposition leaders including Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, David Mark, Rotimi Amaechi, Nasir El-Rufai, and others adopted the ADC as the platform to challenge Tinubu in 2027.
The coalition is relying on the combined electoral strength of Atiku and Obi, who secured over 12 million votes in the 2023 election—more than four million above Tinubu’s declared total.
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From Peter Obi to Atiku. The same Atiku this man insulted like there was no tomorrow during the 2023 general elections 😂
This one is just looking out for his pocket