TRIAL BEGINS OF CENTRAL AFRICAN EX-PRESIDENT BOZIZE OVER WAR CRIMES. (PHOTO).
Kenneth Okonkwo, former presidential spokesperson for the Labour Party, has declared that no single opposition candidate can defeat President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election without forming a coalition. Speaking amid a wave of defections by political heavyweights to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Okonkwo emphasized that a united opposition is the only path to challenging Tinubu’s re-election.
Okonkwo expressed confidence that a coalition would emerge, though he could not specify its leadership. “Moving to 2027, I know that there will be a coalition. Whether it is going to be between Peter Obi and Atiku, I don’t know, but there will be a coalition,” he said. “That will be the only choice the opposition has to make any impact.” He warned that without such an alliance, Tinubu would secure victory “outrightly” and “just walk into” another term.
Highlighting the challenges of Nigerian politics, Okonkwo noted that winning an election is not enough; candidates must also “secure their victory.” He referenced the 2015 election, where a coalition of elites unseated then-President Goodluck Jonathan, as a model for defeating Tinubu in 2027. However, he cautioned that failure to unite would render Tinubu unbeatable.
Commenting on the recent defections to the APC, Okonkwo attributed the moves to politicians’ pursuit of personal gains, believing the ruling party would manipulate election results in 2027. “It is an absurdity that people will see a sinking house and be running into it for shelter,” he remarked, criticizing defectors for banking on the APC to “write results for them.”
The defections have sparked concerns among Nigerians about the stability of the country’s party system, with fears that Nigeria could be drifting toward a one-party state.
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