Speaking during an interview on Channels TV’s Politics Today, Kenneth Okonkwo explained why he believes this is the best strategy to defeat President Bola Tinubu.
Okonkwo, who recently left the Labour Party, said that if the opposition presents another Southern candidate like Peter Obi, Tinubu will likely win again.
According to him, the only way to beat Tinubu is to bring in a strong Northern candidate who has wide support in the region.
He said, “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 also described Tinubu’s leadership as “incurably bad”, saying Nigerians need to “terminate his incumbency.”
He also dismissed the argument that backing a Northern candidate would be unfair.
“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,” Okonkwo said.
He warned that fielding another Southern challenger like Peter Obi could backfire, giving Tinubu an easy path to re-election.
Okonkwo added that the Southwest has never run against a sitting president, suggesting they understand the importance of political strategy over sentiment.
“If you bring somebody from the Southeast, even if he wins, they will steal it from him,” he said
“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.”
KanyiDaily recalls that Kenneth Okonkwo left the Labour Party in July 2024, pointing to unresolved internal issues and what he described as Peter Obi’s lack of leadership in addressing them.
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