Actor and politician Kenneth Okonkwo says a pragmatic and strategic political move to defeat President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 general elections would require fielding a Northern candidate, arguing that a fresh Southern challenger lacks the national political leverage to unseat a sitting Southern president.
Speaking with ARISE NEWS on Monday, former spokesperson of the Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council, explained that the 2023 context differs sharply from the dynamics leading into 2027.
While 2023 featured no incumbent and power residing in the North, he noted that the upcoming election will be significantly more complex.
“In 2023, we had a viable alternative platform in the Labour Party and no incumbent in power. Power was in the North. In 2027, there’s now an incumbent from the South who has declared publicly that he knows how to grab, snatch and run with power,” Okonkwo said, referencing comments attributed to President Tinubu in the lead-up to the 2023 elections.
He argued that political realism not idealism must guide opposition strategies, noting that the Nigerian electoral terrain remains fraught with manipulation and unresolved electoral reforms.
“I do not believe we are going to have free, fair, credible elections in 2027,” he stated. “Why would you take a fresh candidate from the South-East without the backing of military or security forces to confront an incumbent from the South-West, who controls state machinery?”
Okonkwo drew historical parallels to 2015 when Tinubu, as a political kingmaker, allied with Muhammadu Buhari then a Northern candidate with a consistent 12 million-vote base in the North to unseat incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan, a fellow Southerner.
“Buhari gets 12 million votes only when he runs against Southern candidates. In 2007, when he contested against Yar’Adua, he got just 7 million. Tinubu knew he could not win Jonathan, another Southerner, so he brought Buhari,” Okonkwo explained.
The seasoned actor said any strategy aiming to produce a “disruptive change” in 2027 must mirror such pragmatism.
“If Tinubu had done well, I would have gone home and slept,” Okonkwo said. “But with the economy in chaos, insecurity rising, and the Muslim-Muslim ticket still in play, we cannot afford to give him 8 years through a potential second term.”
He clarified that his position was personal and not reflective of the African Democratic Congress (ADC)’s official stance. While the ADC has agreed to a four-year transition plan if elected, it promises open, competitive primaries for all aspirants.
“The ADC is not zoning to the North. That’s my strategy because it’s the only way to unseat Tinubu. The party has committed to free and fair primaries where everyone can contest,” he noted.
Boluwatife Oyaniyi
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