Kenneth Okonkwo, spokesperson for Atiku Abubakar’s presidential campaign, has said opposition parties must work together if they want to defeat President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
Okonkwo made the statement during an interview with Ibeju Upgrade Media, which was shared on YouTube on Thursday, while discussing the chances of the opposition in the next presidential contest.
According to him, the opposition would struggle to defeat Tinubu if major parties and candidates decide to contest separately. He argued that a united opposition front would provide a stronger challenge to the President than individual candidates running on different platforms.
Okonkwo also questioned the possibility of Peter Obi defeating Tinubu without the backing of a wider opposition alliance. Obi is the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, while Rabiu Kwankwaso is his running mate on the party’s ticket.
The former Labour Party presidential campaign spokesperson said the failure of opposition figures to reach a lasting agreement had weakened efforts to build a common platform ahead of the 2027 election. Attempts to form an opposition coalition in 2025 faced several challenges, with key contenders eventually securing presidential tickets under different political parties.
Okonkwo argued that Obi would face serious difficulties if he decided to challenge Tinubu alone. He pointed to the voting pattern in Kano during the 2023 presidential election, saying Obi did not secure enough support in the state despite his strong performance in some other parts of the country.
He also dismissed the political strength of Kwankwaso, claiming that the former Kano State governor had lost some of the influence he previously enjoyed in the state. Kwankwaso is expected to serve as Obi’s running mate under the NDC platform in the 2027 election.
Okonkwo’s latest position is not the first time he has questioned Obi’s ability to lead Nigeria. In May, he criticised the former Anambra State governor and said he lacked the capacity to handle difficult national challenges.
The disagreement among opposition figures comes as political parties continue to position themselves ahead of the 2027 presidential election. While Atiku is contesting under a different political platform, Obi and Kwankwaso have joined forces under the NDC, with the opposition still facing questions over whether it can achieve a broader alliance before the election.
Okonkwo maintained that the opposition’s strongest path to victory would be through cooperation among major political forces rather than separate presidential campaigns.