Nigerian actor and member of the Labour Party (LP) presidential campaign council in 2023, Kenneth Okonkwo has revealed that no single person by any name can defeat the APC’s flag bearer at the polls come 2027.
He made the statement on 27th of April during an interview on Channels TV.
The former LP member made the remark while answering a question the host, Seun posed to him about Peter obi beating Tinubu if he had a formidable pair from the North.
Kenneth Okonkwo explained that the country has found itself in an unfortunate situation where winning an election isn’t enough to be declared the winner. Fag bearers are also expected to safeguard their victory. With this move on ground, it will be impossible for a single person to win Tinubu at the polls, the actor asserted.
Buttressing his point, Okonkwo further disclosed that securing the victory would require the help of the Nigerian elite politicians even if the people vote for you. According to Kenneth Okonkwo, if the elite converge like in 2014 against Jonathan, whosoever gets the People’s vote would be declared the winner.
Speaking on the matter of LP–PDP joint against Tinubu in 2027, Seun asked Okonkwo what he felt about the arrangement. Okonkwo revealed that it is his main reason for not signing up for a new party after leaving LP earlier in the year. For him, he sees joining just any party as child’s play. By extension the former actor wants to be assured of a strong coalition so that he can join the winning team.
Additionally, the actor asserted that he may not be able to state emphatically on the air of alliance blowing around Peter Obi and Atiku, he however, pointed out that there would be a coalition among the oppositions, but he can not assert if it would be between Obi and Atiku. He noted that it is the right thing for the opposition to do to enable them unseat President Tinubu.
Seun in a bid to be certain of the actor-turned politician’s stand, he asked Okonkwo if he meant that, without a coalition, Tinubu cannot be beaten. He replied that it would be a walk-in for the president if no coalition is formed.
Further, Seun asked Okonkwo if the Obi-Atiku alliance could be formidable enough to unseat Tinubu, Kenneth Okonkwo replied by paraphrasing South Africa’s Nelson Mandela by noting that it may look impossible until it happens. Without assuring the interviewer that such an alliance between Obi-Atiku can win the 2027 polls, Kenneth further resolved his stand on the matter of coalition, especially with the North can produce a duo strong enough to withstand Tinubu’s political presence and that of the APC which Seun asserted seems to growing daily due to the recent defections.
Meanwhile, recall that Kenneth Okonkwo happens to be one of the LP’s members who pulled out of the party. During his exit from the party, Okonkwo noted that his reason for exiting the party was partly because of its leadership crisis and majorly because the party, according to him, has deviated from its founding principles.
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