Kenneth Okonkwo, a key member of the newly formed National Opposition Coalition Group (NOCG), announced that the presidential ticket for the 2027 election under the coalition’s All Democratic Alliance (ADA) will not be zoned to any specific region. Okonkwo, a lawyer and former spokesperson for Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi, stated that aspirants from both Northern and Southern Nigeria are free to contest.
“Nobody will be stopped from contesting for the presidential ticket in the coalition,” Okonkwo declared, advocating for an open contest to select the best candidate.
Addressing concerns about regional balance following former President Muhammadu Buhari’s eight-year tenure and President Bola Tinubu’s current administration, Okonkwo proposed a single six-year presidential term to avoid prolonged regional imbalances. He argued that Tinubu’s poor performance could fuel discontent if a non-performing Southern president were to serve another eight years, prompting northern objections.
“Tinubu is not performing, and nobody will allow him to continue,” Okonkwo said. “The best candidate should emerge, and everyone will support them for a single term.”
Okonkwo distanced himself from supporting coalition leaders like Atiku Abubakar or Peter Obi as candidates, while refuting Obi’s claims of betrayal. “I was 100% loyal when I worked for Obi. When I left, I made it clear I would no longer speak for him,”
he said, dismissing accusations as reflections of others’ character, not his own.
In a scathing critique, Okonkwo labeled Tinubu’s administration as the worst in Nigeria’s history, surpassing even Buhari’s tenure. He condemned the floating of the naira as a “terrible” decision, arguing that Tinubu should have prioritized policies to boost exports over imports to stabilize the currency.
The NOCG, chaired by former Senate President David Mark and including figures like former Transport Minister Rotimi Amaechi, has formally requested registration of the ADA as a political party with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ahead of the 2027 elections.
The coalition’s push for an open ticket and its fierce criticism of the current government signal a bold strategy to challenge Tinubu’s re-election bid.