A former spokesman for Peter Obi the 2023 Labour Party Presidential candidate Kenneth Okonkwo says he will support Atiku Abubakar or any northerner for that matter for president in 2027.
According to him, while speaking on Channels Television programme on Tuesday Okonkwo said his decision is based on the fact that Abubakar has more national appeal and support to unseat President Bola Ahmed Tinubu from power.
Recall that Okonkwo parted ways with Obi early this year accusing him of losing control over the LP amidst the leadership crisis that has rocked the party fro months. The supporters of Obi and Julius Abure, the National Chairman of the party are struggling for the control of the soul of the party.
Obi had recently joined the coalition forces in the African Democratic Congress, ADC, the party hosting key opposition leaders trying to unseat Tinubu in the next election.
While speaking after declaring his support for ADC, the former LP presidential candidate disclosed that his intention is to contest for the highest office in the country, saying he’s not prepared to play a second fiddle to Abubakar as being speculated.
Abubakar and Obi had in 2019 contested for the president under the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP joint ticket. But Obi said few days ago that he’s gunning for the presidency this time around.
Okonkwo however said Obi does not have his support this time around to contest the highest office in the country, stressing that he will back Abubakar of any other northern candidate for the post.
The lawyer and former Nollywood star said a southern aspirant can pair up with a northern presidential candidate, that he said will make the plan to unset Tinubu from power easier.
He noted that no southern candidate is capable of defeating Tinubu, saying Obi or any other presidential candidate from the south is equal to handing over presidency to Tinubu for the second time.
“My strategy this time around is that I am going to support a northerner in 2027, “ he said.
Adding that “It must be a northerner that the whole north is willing to support. If the whole north is willing to support an Atiku, why not? If the whole north is willing to support a Tambuwal, why not?
“The person must be qualified, and if he has experience in the presidency, it is an added advantage, and when he puts up something from the south, that will push him through.
“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 outright.”
Okonkwo had after meeting with former Vice President Abubakar in March this year stated that it’s necessary to join other well meaning Nigerians on how to move the country forward.
He said he lost hope in Obi after he failed to provide solutions to the problems rocking the LP.
“After the 2023 general election, Nigerians, including me, had high hopes for the Labour Party. I believed that Peter Obi would seize the momentum and build a solid party of integrity… However, I continued in his defence believing he would still privately bring the needed solution to LP problems, (but) to no avail,” Okonkwo said.
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