Why Peter Obi Cannot Emerge President In 2027 – Kenneth Okonkwo

Kenneth Okonkwo, a prominent figure in the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and former spokesperson for Peter Obi’s 2023 presidential campaign, has declared that Peter Obi has slim chances of becoming president in 2027 due to Nigeria’s ingrained power dynamics.

During a Tuesday night broadcast of Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’, Okonkwo argued that only a formidable northern political figure can realistically unseat President Bola Tinubu.

“If you bring somebody from the Southeast, even if he wins, they will steal it from him,” Okonkwo asserted, adding that despite Obi’s over six million votes and third-place finish in 2023, he lacked the necessary establishment support to secure his mandate.

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Okonkwo insisted, “Peter Obi won the election in 2023, and they stole it from us,” a claim consistently denied by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Okonkwo, who officially left the Labour Party in July 2024 following internal conflicts, now believes the only viable path to victory in 2027 is through a strong, northern candidate backed by the establishment. He declared his strategy: “My strategy this time around is that I am going to support a northerner in 2027.”

He suggested figures like Atiku Abubakar, Aminu Tambuwal, or Nasir El-Rufai.

He further contended that supporting another Southern candidate against Tinubu, also a Southerner, would inadvertently bolster the incumbent’s position. “Anybody telling you to bring a fresh Southerner to compete against Tinubu, a Southerner, is trying to tell you to zone the ticket to Tinubu,” Okonkwo stated.

The former Nollywood actor also criticized Nigeria’s informal power rotation tradition. While acknowledging the South might feel entitled to complete an eight-year cycle after Tinubu, he stressed that political realities often contradict this. “Do you know the Southwest has never contested an election against an incumbent?” Okonkwo asked rhetorically, explaining, “Because they know that in Nigeria, if you don’t have the establishment supporting you, even if you win, they will steal it from you.”