Former Labour Party chieftain Kenneth Okonkwo has reiterated the call for a coalition ahead of the 2027 presidential election, stating that no single opposition candidate is powerful enough to defeat President Bola Tinubu.
According to him, if opposition parties fail to unite and challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Tinubu, the 2027 election will be an easy win for Tinubu. Reflecting on how former President Goodluck Jonathan was defeated in 2015, the actor-turned-lawyer believes a coalition will form against Tinubu before 2027. He emphasized that such a coalition would require the support of the elite to successfully remove the President and his party from power.
“No single candidate can defeat him alone, no matter what name they go by. The reality in Nigeria is that it’s not enough to just win; you have to secure your victory.”
“You need the backing of the elites to secure your win, even if the people vote for you. If the elites unite, as they did in 2014 to challenge Jonathan in 2015, they were able to secure their victory when the people voted for them. Without their unity, they wouldn’t have been able to secure that victory.”
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Okonkwo, speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, stated that neither Peter Obi nor Atiku Abubakar can defeat President Tinubu in the upcoming election unless they join forces.