A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Kenneth Okonkwo, has claimed that votes cast for former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi in the 2027 election would ultimately benefit President Bola Tinubu.
Okonkwo made the remarks during an interview with Symfoni TV on Wednesday while arguing that opposition parties must unite behind a single platform to stand a realistic chance of defeating the incumbent president.
According to him, a divided opposition would strengthen Tinubu’s chances of securing a second term.
Okonkwo said: “The reason I said it is that either you’re working for Tinubu directly, in other words, you’re in APC, or you’re working for Tinubu indirectly because when you divide the votes of the coalition and the opposition, you’re still making Tinubu better placed to win.”
The former Labour Party spokesman also criticised Obi’s reported decision to leave ADC coalition discussions, claiming the former Anambra State governor was unwilling to participate in a competitive primary election.
He said: “Nobody forced Peter Obi to enter ADC.
“He entered on his own, and one week to the end of the closure of the time, he left and gave the reason.
“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.”
Okonkwo further claimed that Anambra South Senator Victor Umeh had previously argued that the South-East’s best chance of producing a president would come through a political alliance with northern leaders.
He said: “When we were all entering ADC, 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.”
According to Okonkwo, Umeh also suggested that Obi was reluctant to accept such political advice.
Okonkwo said: “I told him, ‘Have you told Obi?’ He said yes, but that Peter Obi is very stubborn.
“That if you tell him anything, he would not believe but would continue to try.”
The ADC chieftain maintained that opposition supporters should carefully weigh the consequences of their political choices ahead of the next general election.
He said: “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.”
Okonkwo’s comments add to ongoing debates over opposition coalition efforts and the strategy political parties may adopt ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
