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Former Labour Party chieftain and spokesperson for Atiku Abubakar\'s presidential campaign, Kenneth Okonkwo, has said only a united opposition coalition can defeat President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
Speaking during an interview with a news outlet, Okonkwo dismissed the chances of Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), securing victory if he contests against Tinubu without the backing of a broad coalition.
According to him, the opposition must rally behind a single candidate to stand a realistic chance of unseating the President.
\"Coalition is the only way out. You don\'t go against a man who has told you from the beginning that power is not taken à la carte; you fight for it, you grab it, you snatch it and run away with it,\" he said, referring to Tinubu.
Okonkwo argued that even a joint ticket featuring Obi and former Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso would struggle to defeat the APC candidate.
\"If Peter Obi goes against Tinubu alone, Tinubu will eat him like biscuits. Will Kano people accept Peter Obi? In 2023, when we had the opportunity, they did not accept him. In 2027, they will not accept him,\" he said.
He also claimed that Kwankwaso no longer commands the political influence he once had in Kano State, insisting the former governor would add little electoral value to any presidential ticket.
His remarks come as the G100 Opposition Coalition, led by ADC chieftain Salihu Lukman, intensifies efforts to unite opposition parties behind a single presidential candidate ahead of the 2027 general election.
Previous attempts to build a united opposition front collapsed after key political figures, including Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, emerged as presidential candidates of different political parties.
Okonkwo had also criticised Obi in May, saying the former Anambra State governor lacked the capacity to address Nigeria\'s numerous challenges.
