2027: Voting for Peter Obi is an indirect vote for Tinubu – Kenneth Okonkwo
African Democratic Congress (ADC) chieftain, Kenneth Okonkwo, has warned that supporting Peter Obi in the 2027 presidential election will ultimately guarantee a second term for President Bola Tinubu.
Speaking in an interview with Symfoni TV, the former Labour Party (LP) spokesperson argued that a fragmented opposition plays directly into the hands of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). He stressed that unless opposition parties unite under a single, formidable platform, unseating the incumbent president will remain an uphill task.
“Either you’re working for Tinubu directly, in other words, you’re in APC, or you’re working for Tinubu indirectly,” Okonkwo stated. “When you divide the votes of the coalition and the opposition, you’re still making Tinubu better placed to win.”
Okonkwo did not hold back in his criticism of the former Anambra State governor, particularly regarding Obi’s reported exit from coalition discussions within the ADC. He alleged that Obi left the arrangement because he was unwilling to face a competitive primary election.
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“Nobody forced Peter Obi to enter ADC. He entered on his own, and one week to the closure of time, he left,” Okonkwo revealed. “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?”
Adding a new dimension to the political friction, Okonkwo claimed that Senator Victor Umeh had previously confided in him about the South-East’s best strategy for the presidency. According to him, Umeh believed the region’s surest path to Aso Rock required a strategic alliance with the North, with Obi initially serving as a running mate.
“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 further alleged that when he asked if Obi was aware of this strategy, Umeh replied that the former LP presidential candidate was “very stubborn” and resistant to such political advice.
As political alignments and coalition talks intensify ahead of the 2027 general elections, Okonkwo urged opposition sympathizers to think critically about the mathematics of their votes.
“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 concluded.
