Barrister Kenneth Okonkwo urged Nigeria’s opposition parties to unite and present a credible alternative to the ruling APC ahead of the 2027 elections.
Okonkwo criticised the APC’s focus on power retention amid rising insecurity and poverty.
He stressed that leadership should be decided by Nigerians, not closed-door deals, and disclosed he remains active in politics through a forming coalition aiming to offer a new direction beyond the Labour Party.
As Nigeria approaches the 2027 general elections, Barrister Kenneth Okonkwo, legal practitioner and spokesperson for the Labour Party during the 2023 elections, has urged opposition parties to come together to form a credible alternative to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Okonkwo made his remarks in an interview on Arise TV following the APC Northwest’s endorsement of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as its sole candidate for the 2027 presidential election.
APC endorsement sparks debate amid national challenges:
The endorsement included a vote of confidence in Tinubu and automatic second-term tickets for APC governors in the region.
However, it has sparked a national debate about the party’s priorities in the face of rising insecurity and poverty.
“It is shameful that at a time when people are being killed, like the 15 people reportedly murdered this morning in Agatu Local Government Area, Benue State, and the Northwest is grappling with the highest rate of out-of-school children and poverty, leaders are preoccupied with elections still two years away,” Okonkwo said.
He described the endorsement as an unrepresentative gathering of political elites, disconnected from the needs of over 60 million people in the Northwest, Vanguard reported.
“Democracy is about the people, not a group of sycophants seeking power for its own sake,” he added.
Okonkwo: Opposition must unite to defeat APC in 2027:
Okonkwo attributed the opposition’s failure in 2023 to fragmentation, which allowed a minority party with just 37 per cent of votes to win the presidency.
“The only way to get APC out of power in 2027 is for the opposition to unite. Nigerians deserve a government rooted in integrity, competence, and a commitment to public welfare, not one focused on power retention,” he declared.
