A Labour Party (LP) chieftain, Kenneth Okonkwo, has stated that his support for the 2027 presidency is for a northern candidate to contest against President Bola Tinubu.
Okonkwo, who served as a spokesperson for the Peter Obi/Ahmed Baba-Datti presidential campaign organization in the 2023 elections, warned that fielding a southern candidate against Tinubu in 2027 would make it easy for the President to clinch a second term.
The actor cum politician however added that the northern candidate the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and coalition leaders would present for 2027, must be qualified for the position and have the support of the entire northern region.
He submitted that he doesn’t mind if former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, or former Speaker Aminu Tambuwal or any other northerner emerges as long as such a person meets the requirement and has the support of the northern region.
“My strategy this time around is that I am going to support a northerner in 2027.
“It must be a northerner that the whole north is willing to support.
“If the whole north is willing to support an Atiku, why not?
“If the whole north is willing to support a Tambuwal, why not? The person must be qualified, and if he has experience in the presidency, it is an added advantage, and when he puts up something from the south, that will push him through,” Okonkwo said on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Tuesday.
Why Peter Obi Can’t Win
Speaking further, News360 Info reports Okonkwo submitted that Peter Obi or any Southerner can’t win the 2027 election because it will be stolen from such a person.
He alleged that Obi won the 2023 election, but he was robbed.
He insisted that since the APC is presenting Tinubu to be its flag bearer, the opposition coalition must present a northerner to challenge him.
According to him, the power of incumbency is a significant factor in Nigeria’s politics.
“Anybody telling you it’s injustice if the north comes in, if the south comes in, and whoever wins in a primary election will take it for four years. Where is the injustice? It has happened before.
“Anybody telling you to bring a fresh southerner to compete against Tinubu, a southerner, is trying to tell you to zone the ticket to Tinubu and Tinubu will win outright.
“If you bring somebody from the Southeast, even if he wins, they will steal it from him.
“Let me tell you the strategy that will make the Southeast man to be president. Do you know the South-West has never contested an election against an incumbent? Strategy? Because they know that in Nigeria, if you don’t have the establishment supporting you, even if you win, they will steal it from you.
“Peter Obi won the election in 2023, and they stole it from us. If you do it again, they will steal it from him because there is no incumbent to back you, but if you bring somebody from the north, nobody will prevail on him to leave his victory because he is not from the same side as you,” he said.
