Kenneth Okonkwo, former spokesperson for the Labour Party (LP) presidential campaign council, has said that opposition parties must form a coalition if they hope to defeat President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 elections.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Sunday, Okonkwo admitted he could not guarantee a specific alliance between Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar but stressed that a coalition was inevitable for the opposition to make any meaningful impact.

“Nelson Mandela said it always appears impossible until it happens. I may not guarantee an alliance between Peter Obi and Atiku, but as we are moving to 2027, I know there would be a coalition,” he said.

Asked whether Tinubu could be defeated without such an alliance, Okonkwo answered affirmatively but noted that no single candidate could unseat the president alone, emphasizing the need for both popular votes and elite support.

“In Nigeria, you must not only win, you must secure your victory,” he said. “If the elites come together like they did in 2014 to confront Goodluck Jonathan in 2015, they will unseat Tinubu in 2027.”

Okonkwo described recent defections to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as driven by fears of election manipulation, but predicted internal collapse within the party, calling it a “sinking house.”

Citing a World Bank report predicting rising poverty until 2027, he said expectations of improvement under Tinubu’s administration were low, arguing that “the World Bank has given up on Tinubu’s regime.”

Okonkwo also referenced political tensions in Delta State, noting defections within the PDP and APC power struggles, including Senator Ned Nwoko’s dissatisfaction with broken promises and Ovie Omo-Agege’s efforts to strengthen the APC despite internal frictions.