ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Kenneth Okonkwo, says that any vote cast for Peter Obi in the 2027 presidential election would ultimately work in favour of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Okonkwo, who spoke during an interview on Symfoni TV on Wednesday, said the opposition must rally behind a single political platform if it hopes to unseat the incumbent president in the next general election.
According to him, analysts have repeatedly warned that a fragmented opposition would only improve Tinubu’s chances of securing a second term in office.
Explaining his position, Okonkwo said, “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.”
The former spokesman of the Labour Party also criticised Obi’s reported withdrawal from coalition discussions within the ADC, claiming the former presidential candidate was unwilling to subject himself to a competitive primary election.
“Nobody forced Peter Obi to enter ADC. He entered on his own, and one week to the end of the closure of the time, he left and gave the reason.
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“You can’t compete in a primary, and you want to be a politician. You want to be the president of a challenged country, and you’re running away from challenge,” he said.
Okonkwo further alleged that Anambra South Senator Victor Umeh had once suggested that the South-East’s best chance of producing a Nigerian president was through a political alliance with northern political leaders.
According to him, Umeh conveyed the view during discussions around the ADC coalition project.
“When we were all entering ADC, Victor Umeh made it clear and spoke to me directly that the only chance the Igbo people have is to align with the North and for our brother Peter Obi to be a vice president,” Okonkwo claimed.
He said he subsequently asked Umeh whether Obi had been informed of the suggestion, adding that the senator allegedly described the former Anambra governor as reluctant to accept such political advice.
“I told him, ‘Have you told Obi?’ He said yes, but that Peter Obi is very stubborn. That if you tell him anything, he would not believe but would continue to try,” Okonkwo stated.
The ADC chieftain maintained that opposition supporters should carefully evaluate the consequences of their political choices ahead of the 2027 presidential contest.
“Let me tell you the truth, in 2027, anybody voting any vote whatsoever to Peter Obi, you’re voting for Tinubu, and don’t say that I didn’t tell you,” he said.