2027: ADC must field northern candidate to defeat Tinubu, says Keneth Okonkwo
A former spokesman of the Labour Party, Kenneth Okonkwo, has said only a candidate from the Northern region with wide acceptability can defeat President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general election.
Mr Okonwo, who recently defected to the Action Democratic Congress, ADC , urged the party to present a northerner, saying he won’t support a candidate from the Southern region.
Mr Okonkwo, who stated this during an interview on Channels TV warned that the political arithmetic of 2027 favours the incumbent unless the opposition adopts a pragmatic and strategic approach.
“My strategy this time around is that I am going to support a northerner in 2027,” Mr Okonkwo said.
“The person must be qualified. And if he has experience in the presidency, it is an added advantage. When he pairs with someone from the south, that will push him through”, he explained.
He described Mr Tinubu as “incurably bad,” insisting that only a credible northern challenger can pose a serious threat to his return bid.
“Anybody telling you it is injustice if the north comes in, or if the south comes in… whoever wins a primary election will take it for four years. Where is the injustice? It has happened before,” he said.
He warned that nominating another southern candidate would amount to handing Tinubu the election on a platter.
“Anybody telling you to bring a fresh southerner to compete against Tinubu, a southerner, is trying to zone the ticket to Tinubu. And Tinubu will win outright,” he said.
“If you bring somebody from the south-east, even if he wins, they will steal it from him,” he asserted.
He pointed to historical electoral patterns and political strategy, noting that the southwest has never fielded a candidate against a sitting president.
“Do you know the southwest has never contested against an incumbent? Strategy. Because in Nigeria, if you don’t have the establishment behind you, even if you win, they will steal it from you,” he said.
He reiterated his belief that Peter Obi won the 2023 election but had his mandate taken.
“Peter Obi won the election in 2023, and they stole it from us. If you do it again, they will still steal it, because there is no incumbent to defend the victory.
“But if you bring someone from the north, nobody will pressure him to relinquish his win because he is not from the same region as the incumbent”, he said.
