A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Kenneth Okonkwo, has claimed that any votes cast for Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, in the 2027 general election could ultimately work in favour of President Bola Tinubu.
Okonkwo made the statement during an interview on Symfoni TV on Wednesday, where he stressed the need for opposition forces to unite under a single platform ahead of the next presidential election.
According to him, a divided opposition would only strengthen the chances of the incumbent president securing re-election in 2027.
“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,” Okonkwo said.
The former Labour Party spokesman criticised Obi’s reported exit from coalition discussions within the ADC, alleging that the former Anambra State governor was unwilling to participate in a competitive primary process.
“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. You can’t compete in a primary and you want to be a politician,” he said.
Okonkwo also referenced comments allegedly made by Anambra South Senator Victor Umeh, claiming that the South-East’s best chance of producing a president would be through political alignment with northern leaders.
He further claimed that Obi was advised to accept a vice presidential role in such an arrangement but was unwilling to do so.
“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 added.
Okonkwo maintained that opposition supporters must carefully evaluate their political choices ahead of the 2027 elections, insisting that only a united front can effectively challenge the ruling party.