2027: Voting for Peter Obi is indirect support for Tinubu — Okonkwo

A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Kenneth Okonkwo, has said that supporting Peter Obi in the 2027 presidential election could inadvertently strengthen President Bola Tinubu’s chances of securing re-election.

Okonkwo made the remark during an interview on Symfoni TV, where he emphasised the need for opposition parties to unite behind a common platform if they hope to defeat the incumbent president.

According to him, a divided opposition would only work in favour of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, making his re-election more likely.

“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,” he said.

The former Labour Party spokesman also criticised reports that Peter Obi had withdrawn from coalition discussions within the ADC, alleging that the former presidential candidate was unwilling to participate in a competitive primary process.

He argued that political ambition must be tested through internal party competition, especially for a country facing complex governance challenges.

Okonkwo further claimed that Senator Victor Umeh had previously suggested that the South-East’s best chance of producing a president would be through political alignment with northern leaders, possibly in a joint ticket arrangement.

He maintained that Obi had reportedly resisted such advice, insisting on pursuing his political path independently.

Reiterating his position, Okonkwo warned opposition supporters to consider the broader electoral implications of their choices ahead of the 2027 general election, arguing that vote splitting could ultimately determine the outcome of the race.