A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Kenneth Okonkwo, has said that supporting Peter Obi in the 2027 presidential election would ultimately boost the re-election chances of President Bola Tinubu.
Okonkwo made the remarks during an interview with Symfoni TV, where he spoke on the need for opposition parties to unite behind a common platform if they hope to unseat the incumbent president.
According to him, a fragmented opposition would only make it easier for Tinubu to secure a second term in office.
“The reason I said it is that either you’re working for Tinubu directly, in other words, you’re in APC, or you’re working for Tinubu indirectly because when you divide the votes of the coalition and the opposition, you’re still making Tinubu better placed to win.”
The former Labour Party spokesman also criticised Obi’s reported decision to withdraw from coalition discussions within the ADC.
He alleged that the former presidential candidate was unwilling to subject himself to a competitive primary election.
“Nobody forced Peter Obi to enter ADC. He entered on his own, and one week to the end of the closure of the time, he left and gave the reason.”
“You can’t compete in a primary, and you want to be a politician. You want to be the president of a challenged country, and you’re running away from challenge.”
South-East Political Alliance Claims
Okonkwo further claimed that Senator Victor Umeh had previously expressed the view that the South-East’s best opportunity of producing a Nigerian president would be through a political alliance with northern leaders.
“When we were all entering ADC, Victor Umeh made it clear and spoke to me directly that the only chance the Igbo people have is to align with the North and for our brother Peter Obi to be a vice president.”
He also alleged that Umeh had informed him that Obi was not receptive to such political advice.
“I told him, ‘Have you told Obi?’ He said yes, but that Peter Obi is very stubborn. That if you tell him anything, he would not believe but would continue to try.”
Maintaining his position, Okonkwo urged opposition supporters to carefully weigh the political consequences of their choices ahead of the 2027 election.
“Let me tell you the truth, in 2027, anybody voting any vote whatsoever to Peter Obi, you’re voting for Tinubu, and don’t say that I didn’t tell you.”
The comments come amid ongoing discussions among opposition figures and political groups over possible alliances and coalition arrangements ahead of the 2027 presidential contest.
Peter Obi previously ran for president under the Labour Party in 2023 and won significant youth and urban support across the country.
The ADC is one of several opposition parties seeking to build a stronger coalition against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
President Bola Tinubu is a member of the APC and is seeking re-election in 2027.
Victor Umeh is a prominent South-East politician and senator representing Anambra Central who has long advocated for Igbo political advancement through strategic alliances.
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