Former spokesman for the Labour Party’s Presidential Campaign Council, Kenneth Okonkwo, has said that no southern presidential candidate can defeat President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general elections, warning that fielding a southerner under the African Democratic Congress (ADC) would effectively hand victory to the incumbent.
Okonkwo made this assertion during an interview on Tuesday, arguing that the region’s political dynamics make it unlikely for any southern aspirant to unseat Tinubu, who is from the South West.
“Anybody telling you to bring a fresh southerner to compete against Tinubu, a southerner, is trying to tell you to zone the ticket to Tinubu — and Tinubu will win outrightly,” Okonkwo said.
The Nollywood actor-turned-politician, who supported Peter Obi and the Labour Party in the 2023 presidential election, parted ways with the former Anambra governor and resigned from the party in July 2024, citing disappointment over unresolved internal crises.
Okonkwo stressed that for the ADC and its coalition partners to stand a realistic chance in 2027, they must rally behind a strong northern candidate who can win votes across the region.
“I will only support a northern candidate who is popular and capable of winning states in the North,” he said.
His comments come amid growing speculation over the unity and direction of the opposition coalition, as multiple influential figures — including Peter Obi — have signalled interest in the presidential ticket.
Obi, one of the coalition’s leading southern figures, remains a top contender within the bloc, but Okonkwo’s remarks highlight the emerging debate over zoning and regional strategy as the 2027 race begins to take shape.
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