Kenneth Okonkwo says opposition disunity may help Tinubu in 2027

Kenneth Okonkwo, a spokesperson for the Atiku Abubakar Presidential Campaign Organisation, has said that if the opposition does not come together behind one candidate, it could help President Bola Tinubu win re-election in 2027.

Mr Okonkwo shared these thoughts during an interview on TVC Politics on Sunday.

He mentioned that the opposition can only challenge the All Progressives Congress (APC) effectively by uniting their political structures, alliances, and votes behind one candidate.

President Tinubu is the APC candidate, and there are 17 other candidates in the race.

The interview comes as opposition politicians make renewed efforts to form a coalition for the 2027 presidential election. These efforts face challenges due to the different ambitions of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), former Governor of Anambra State Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), and other opposition leaders. There are also disagreements on who should lead any proposed alliance.

During the programme, Mr Okonkwo noted that Mr Obi's choice to run for president instead of joining a coalition could split the opposition votes even further.

"Coalition is the only way out," Mr Okonkwo said. He added that no opposition candidate should go up against an incumbent president without the backing of a larger political alliance.

Mr Okonkwo's thoughts are partly based on the results of the 2023 presidential election. In that election, the opposition vote was shared among several major candidates.

The Independent National Electoral Commission's final results showed that Tinubu secured 8.7 million votes, while Mr Atiku got 6.9 million and Obi had 6.1 million votes. Rabiu Kwankwaso of the then New Nigeria Peoples Party received 1.4 million votes.

Together, the votes of Mr Atiku and Mr Obi from the 2023 election topped 13 million. Still, analysts say those numbers cannot be assumed to transfer to one opposition candidate, as voters for different candidates may not support a single one.

This math continues to drive discussions for opposition unity before 2027.

Mr Okonkwo believes the lesson is clear: having multiple opposition candidates might again split the votes, while a united front can combine their strengths and reach more voters.

A key part of Mr Okonkwo's comments is his criticism of a politician he once supported.

The former actor turned politician was a key member of Mr Obi's 2023 campaign but is now backing Atiku's candidacy.

In the TVC Politics interview, Mr Okonkwo said if Mr Obi runs against Mr Tinubu without a coalition, the President would likely defeat him. He also questioned how the former Anambra governor could gain support in areas where he did not perform well in 2023.

Explaining why he parted ways with Mr Obi, the APC campaign spokesperson said his views changed after what he called new information about Mr Obi's time as Anambra governor.

The disagreement mainly focuses on the former governor's financial record.

The Anambra State Government recently claimed that eight external borrowing facilities linked to projects during Mr Obi's time had a total contracted value of about $123.77 million, with around $92.35 million still unpaid as of June 30, 2026. The state said the outstanding amount was about N127.4 billion at the official exchange rate.

The state also claimed that Mr Obi left some unpaid workers' benefits, including debts owed to the now-defunct Anambra State Water Corporation.

Mr Obi has denied the government's claims, insisting he did not borrow money or issue bonds on behalf of Anambra while in office. He argued that the external financing mentioned by the state was part of multilateral development funding and should not be seen as normal borrowing from his administration.

Mr Okonkwo said he could no longer defend Mr Obi after what he described as the emergence of new information.

"If circumstances that led to something change, if you do not change, then you are the one who is inconsistent," he said.

Mr Okonkwo believes his support for Mr Atiku is based on experience, established structures, and national alliances.

He reminded everyone that Mr Atiku has run for president several times and has been vice president before, while Mr Obi left the 2023 election with a strong national vote and a solid following among younger voters.

Beyond the issue of opposition unity, Mr Okonkwo used the TVC Politics interview to criticize the Tinubu government on the economy, security, and living costs.

He pointed out the rise in petrol prices and the falling value of the naira, saying the government has not protected Nigerians from the consequences of its economic policies.

He also accused the administration of incompetence and corruption, claims that are part of his political criticism and should not be seen as proven facts.

Mr Okonkwo added that the opposition should present voters with a different economic plan that would help lower fuel prices and improve electricity and security.