The spokesperson for the Atiku Abubakar presidential campaign, Kenneth Okonkwo, has said a coalition is the only way opposition parties can defeat President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
Okonkwo stated this during an interview with Ibeju Upgrade Media, shared on YouTube on Thursday, where he also dismissed the chances of Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, of unseating Tinubu without a broader opposition alliance.
Attempts by opposition parties to form a coalition in 2025 suffered setbacks as major contenders, including Atiku and Obi, emerged as presidential candidates of different parties ahead of the 2027 election.
Okonkwo said the opposition’s best chance of defeating Tinubu was through a coalition, arguing that Obi could not win the election against the President on his own.
“Coalition is the only way out. So you don’t come down with a man who has told you from the beginning that power is not taken à la carte; you fight for it, you grab it, you snatch it, you run away with it,” he said, referring to Tinubu.
He added, “So, if Peter Obi goes against Tinubu alone, Tinubu will eat him like biscuits. Will Kano people accept Peter Obi? In 2023, when we had the opportunity, they did not accept him. In 2027, they will not accept him.
“Kwankwaso has nothing to contribute to the ticket. Even in Kano, Kwankwaso has lost.”
Obi is the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, while Kwankwaso is his running mate on the party’s ticket.
Okonkwo had in May also said Obi lacked the capacity to lead Nigeria, arguing that he avoided difficult challenges.