The spokesperson for Atiku Abubakar’s presidential campaign, Kenneth Okonkwo, has warned that Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress(NDC), could struggle to defeat President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election if he contests without a broader opposition alliance.
Okonkwo, who described opposition unity as key to unseating the All Progressives Congress-led government, said Obi would stand little chance against Tinubu if he ran independently.
“So, if Peter Obi goes against Tinubu alone, Tinubu will eat him like biscuits,” Okonkwo said.
He made the statement in an interview with Ibeju Upgrade Media, shared on YouTube, while commenting on the evolving opposition realignment ahead of the 2027 elections, including the possibility of an alliance involving Obi and former Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso.
According to Okonkwo, the opposition’s major weakness remains its inability to consolidate its votes behind one presidential candidate.
“Coalition is the only way out,” he said, arguing that opposition parties and their supporters must put aside individual ambitions and work towards a common platform if they hope to defeat the ruling APC.
Okonkwo also questioned Obi’s prospects in Kano State, where the former Anambra governor finished third in the 2023 presidential election.
“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,” he said.
He was equally dismissive of the suggestion that Kwankwaso could significantly strengthen an Obi-led presidential ticket, claiming that the former Kano governor’s political influence had declined.
“Kwankwaso has nothing to contribute to the ticket. Even in Kano, Kwankwaso has lost,” Okonkwo said.
Obi is the NDC’s presidential candidate, while Kwankwaso is his running mate on the party’s ticket.
Okonkwo had also said in May that Obi lacked the capacity to lead Nigeria, arguing that he avoided difficult challenges.
His comments come amid intensified efforts by opposition politicians and groups to forge a common platform ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
