Kenneth Okonkwo, a spokesperson for the Atiku Abubakar Presidential Campaign Organisation, has warned that the opposition’s failure to unite behind a single presidential candidate could strengthen President Bola Tinubu’s bid for re-election in 2027.
Mr Okonkwo made the remarks during an interview on TVC Politics on Sunday.
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He said the opposition could only mount a serious challenge to the All Progressives Congress (APC) by pooling its political structures, alliances and votes behind one candidate.
President Tinubu is the APC candidate in the election that has 17 other candidates.
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The interview was conducted in the context of renewed efforts by opposition politicians to form a coalition ahead of the 2027 presidential election. Those efforts have been complicated by the separate ambitions of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), former Governor of Anambra State Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and other opposition figures, as well as disagreements over which politician should lead any proposed alliance.
Speaking during the programme, Mr Okonkwo argued that Mr Obi’s decision to pursue his own presidential bid rather than participate in a broader coalition had created the possibility of another division of opposition votes.
“Coalition is the only way out,” Mr Okonkwo said, noting that no opposition candidate should confront an incumbent president without the support of a wider political alliance.
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2023 remains at the heart of the argument
Mr Okonkwo’s argument is rooted partly in the outcome of the 2023 presidential election, when the opposition vote was divided among several major candidates.
The Independent National Electoral Commission’s final results show that Tinubu won with 8.7 million votes, while Mr Atiku polled 6.9 million and Obi recorded 6.1 million votes. Rabiu Kwankwaso of the then New Nigeria Peoples Party received 1.4 million votes.
Messrs Atiku and Obi’s combined 2023 votes exceeded 13 million. However, analysts said those figures cannot automatically be treated as transferable votes because voters who supported different candidates would not necessarily have supported a single opposition candidate.
It is nevertheless this arithmetic that has continued to fuel arguments for opposition consolidation ahead of 2027.
Mr Okonkwo believes the lesson is clear: multiple opposition candidates could once again fragment the vote, while a united ticket could combine political structures and broaden the opposition’s reach.
The most striking aspect of Mr Okonkwo’s intervention is his criticism of the politician he once helped to promote.
The former actor turned politician was a prominent member of Mr Obi’s 2023 campaign but has since become an advocate of Atiku’s candidacy.
In the TVC Politics interview, Mr Okonkwo said that if Mr Obi contested against Mr Tinubu without a broader coalition, the President would overwhelm him politically. He also questioned how the former Anambra governor could expand his support into regions where he performed poorly in 2023.
Why Okonkwo says his position changed
Explaining his break with Mr Obi, the APC campaign spokesperson said his assessment changed after what he described as new information about Mr Obi’s record as Anambra governor.
The dispute centres particularly on the former governor’s financial record.
The Anambra State Government recently alleged that eight external borrowing facilities associated with projects during Mr Obi’s tenure had a combined contracted value of about $123.77 million, with approximately $92.35 million still outstanding as of June 30, 2026. The state said the outstanding balance was about N127.4 billion at the official exchange rate.
The state also alleged that Mr Obi left some unpaid workers’ entitlements, including arrears involving the defunct Anambra State Water Corporation.
Mr Obi has rejected the government’s interpretation, insisting that he did not borrow money or issue bonds on behalf of Anambra during his tenure. He has argued that the external financing referred to by the state involved multilateral development funding and should not be presented as conventional borrowing undertaken by his administration.
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Mr Okonkwo said he could no longer repeat his earlier defence of Mr Obi after what he described as the emergence of additional information.
“If circumstances that led to something change, if you do not change, then you are the one who is inconsistent,” he said.
Atiku’s experience
Mr Okonkwo said his case for Mr Atiku rests largely on political experience, established structures and nationwide alliances.
He recalled that Mr Atiku has contested the presidency several times and has previously served as vice-president, while Mr Obi emerged from the 2023 election with a substantial national vote and a particularly strong following among younger voters.
Beyond the opposition question, Mr Okonkwo used the TVC Politics interview to criticise the Tinubu administration over the economy, insecurity and the cost of living.
He criticised the increase in petrol prices and the depreciation of the naira, arguing that the administration had failed to protect Nigerians from the effects of its economic policies.
He also accused the government of incompetence and corruption, allegations that are part of his political criticism and should not be treated as established findings.
Mr Okonkwo further argued that the opposition should offer voters an alternative economic programme, including measures that would reduce fuel costs and improve electricity and security.
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