If the opposition is serious about dislodging the APC in 2027, then unity is non-negotiable. Nigerians deserve leadership grounded in integrity, competence, and a genuine commitment to public welfare—not one that prioritizes holding onto power.
As Nigeria’s political landscape begins to intensify in the lead-up to the 2027 general elections, prominent legal practitioner and spokesperson for the Labour Party during the 2023 elections, Barrister Kenneth Okonkwo, has called on opposition parties to unite in order to provide a credible and effective alternative to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Speaking during an interview on Arise TV, Okonkwo responded to the recent endorsement of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu by the APC’s Northwest zone as its sole presidential candidate for the 2027 election.
The endorsement, which also included automatic second-term tickets for APC governors in the region, has stirred national controversy, especially amid rising insecurity and deepening poverty.
“It is disgraceful,” Okonkwo remarked, “that at a time when citizens are being killed—like the 15 people reportedly murdered this morning in Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State—and the Northwest faces the highest rates of poverty and out-of-school children, political leaders are instead focused on elections that are still two years away.”
He criticized the endorsement event as a gathering of political elites disconnected from the pressing needs of the over 60 million residents of the Northwest. “Democracy should be about the people, not a handful of sycophants chasing power for its own sake,” he added.
Reflecting on the outcome of the 2023 elections, Okonkwo attributed the opposition’s failure to internal divisions, which he said paved the way for a minority party—securing just 37 percent of the total votes—to ascend to power.
“If the opposition is serious about dislodging the APC in 2027, then unity is non-negotiable,” he said. “Nigerians deserve leadership grounded in integrity, competence, and a genuine commitment to public welfare—not one that prioritizes holding onto power.”
Okonkwo also criticized what he described as the APC’s “palm wine politics,” a metaphor for the party’s shifting loyalties and ideological inconsistency. “One day they rally behind Tinubu, and the next, they jump ship. That kind of volatility is what the APC represents,” he stated.
When asked about speculations surrounding possible alliance talks between former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi—reportedly involving discussions of a one-term presidency and a vice-presidential offer—Okonkwo stressed that leadership should emerge from democratic processes, not secretive negotiations. “The people, not political backroom deals, should determine who leads,” he asserted.
Speaking on the Labour Party’s ideological foundation, Okonkwo affirmed its pro-labour stance but expressed concern over the influx of candidates who do not align with the party’s core values. Although he has since exited the party due to unresolved internal challenges, he confirmed that his political journey is far from over.
“I’m currently part of a broader coalition still in its formative stage. We’re not rushing into platforms, but when the time is right, Nigerians will hear from us,” he said.
Concluding on a hopeful note, Okonkwo declared, “We may not be able to rewrite the beginning of our story, but we can certainly change how it ends—and I am confident that we will succeed.”